Chainmail Loot and a Stroll with Guan Yu
"Armor!!!" No, not bad at all for a Huangjin bandit. It wasn't the ragged cloth uniform you'd expect from imperial troops—instead, it was proper scale mail with iron links layered like scales. Sure, it only protected the torso, but that was a huge advantage.
'The fact that it covers the belly is perfect.' The human weak spot? The gut. No bones there, so one good stab and your insides spill out like a festival display. Right when things got dicey, this expensive-looking scale-mail bastard showed up.
'A Huangjin thug with gear like that?' I'd figured even the best of them might have decent cloth armor at most... but this guy was decked out in chainmail.
"Come on!!!" I spouted some cool English line straight out of a possession story—only an isekai protagonist could pull that off in the Central Plains—and charged forward.
"Urgh!! Can't let you pass!!" The stragglers who'd stuck with me must've gotten bold seeing I was alone. The Huangjin punks grabbed their weapons and blocked my path. But hey, these were just early-game trash mobs.
Whoooosh!! I parried one guy's wild sword swing perfectly, twisted my blade, and sliced his throat.
"Gahk!!" He crumpled, spraying blood. That left just two: the chainmail guy and the axe-wielding brute.
'Three-on-one? Piece of cake.' Yeah, I could handle that easy. That's the level of strength I was packing.
"Eyyyaaah!!!" The big lug swung his axe down in a flashy overhead chop that could've split any log clean in half. But the trajectory was too straight—easy to deflect.
Tiiiing!!! I angled my sword just right to slip the blow, then carved open his side.
Spluuurt!! His guts spilled out in a gory mess. That's why you armor the chest.
'Man, no just guard is kinda annoying.' That was the downside. Every action game had it, and this world did too. Block right before a hit lands, and you stagger the enemy hard—but only if your weapon proficiency hit 30+. Then find a local master, pay up, and learn it. Sucked that I couldn't use it yet. I'd spammed it like meals in my game runs; the absence hit hard.
'Gotta hunt down a master later.' Hope this Ji County had one. Would make life easier.
Anyway.
"Come on!! Get him!!!" That armor's mine!!! No matter what anyone says!!
"Hiiik?!!" The last guy's face went pale seeing his two buddies drop like sacks of rice. But he seemed a cut above the average Huangjin thug.
Clang! Clank!! Claang!! Claaang-!! Our swords clashed in a frenzy.
"Ngh... urgh...!" But his form got sloppy quick.
"Ha!! Opening!!!" I exploited the moment his blade whistled through empty air and smashed his skull with a clean headshot. Blood and brains erupted like fireworks, and the Huangjin leader bit the dust.
"Whew..." I'd tried to spare the armor as much as possible, and it worked. Just pulverized the head—minimal damage to the chainmail. A bit of blood and brains splattered it, but soap and water would fix that.
Before looting, I scanned for more threats. Our guys were crushing it, though. Liu Bei's troops had already wiped the grain-storage foes. Huangjin Dismantler Analyzer was OP as hell.
"Heh. As expected of Kim Gong. You nabbed the leader at a glance." Liu Bei approached with a grin.
"Yeah. Kim's got sharp eyes." Guan Yu chuckled.
Sharp eyes, huh? Right now, I was sizing up Guan Yu's bust through her war robe. Tomb-secret material, that.
"Impressive, Kim. I was too busy smashing foes up close to spot the boss. Ha ha." Zhang Fei bellowed a laugh.
Wait, no—I'd just targeted the pricey gear... and they thought it was boss-hunting smarts? Huh.
This op was flawless: zero casualties on our side, mission complete. Couldn't ask for better.
"Oho!!! You men are truly brave!! Feels like I've gained a thousand troops!!" Liu Yan boomed, praising us heartily.
"Once we reclaim the nearby areas, we can push for Nanpi... but..." He turned to us, clearly about to push for more unpaid labor. From his spot leading battered regulars in half-ruined Ji County, free manpower was gold.
'He thinks we're suckers?' I glanced at Liu Bei to see his play. Whoa, those ears were massive. All I could see were the lobes. Wanna poke 'em.
"I'd love to march at once... but this drizzle, plus our losses this time—many wounded, weapons broken. Advancing now would be tough." Liu Bei looked genuinely apologetic, his tone so humble it made you feel bad.
But underneath: 'No supplies from you? We're screwed.' Simple as that.
"Ah ha!!! Of course!!" Liu Yan blinked in surprise, then laughed it off. They grinned at each other... but his smile was strained.
'Gotcha, punk?' He'd planned to squeeze us dry under the guise of promotions, but Liu Bei's firm stance threw him off.
"Right!! Supplies incoming! Outfit your men and stay warm!" Liu Yan signaled his subordinates, who hauled in rice sacks, cloth bolts, and piles of coins. Mountains of cash—felt rich... but nah.
'This won't even buy proper rice.' Better to melt it down for weapons or tools. Han dynasty coins were straight-up Zimbabwe dollars. The court minted floods to flex, but anyone in the know dumped 'em fast. Hyperinflation city—fake money like in a board game. Maybe usable in Luoyang where imperial cred lingered. Good luck getting there.
Coins were trash, but rice and cloth? Solid currency in this era.
"Our thanks. So generous—we're overwhelmed." Liu Bei cupped his fists with a smile.
"We're allies against the Huangjin, brother Xuande. Least I can do." Liu Yan chuckled... but his eyes were bloodshot. Clear signal: Take this and scram.
"We'll prep and mobilize soon." Liu Bei bowed out smiling.
Yeah, pushing harder would've soured things. Liu Bei knew the line. Serious dude, like his hefty earlobes.
With our payout secured, we headed back to camp.
"Rest up for three days, all. Rest is battle." Liu Bei dropped some classic company-commander wisdom, then praised the volunteers.
After washing, eating, sleeping...
"Ahh..." Time to laze in my tent.
Word was, Xiao Shuang and Zhang Shiping would sell the rice and cloth for weapons and meds. Pros at this—best to leave it to 'em.
"Heh heh." I hefted my loot, grinning like an idiot. Yeah—my chainmail. Scrubbed it shiny with a wet rag.
Clink. Slipped it on like a vest, struck a pose. No full-body tank, but it'd stop a stab or two. Just wearing it made me feel badass. This is the vibe.
"From now on, you're Scale." My ego armor.
Strike a pose. Flex.
"Pffft!!" Laughter leaked from outside the tent.
"K-Kim... what're you doing alone...?!" Guan Yu was shaking with giggles.
"......" Shit. Caught in the act.
"Uh ha ha!!" She doubled over laughing.
"Ahem. Lady Guan. You're here." No knocking in this open flap of a tent—more straw mat than proper shelter. Awkward to complain.
"Seems I interrupted a fine moment." Her tone was teasing, playful.
"Hmph."
I checked our intimacy meter while she spoke. 'Guan Yu, joking with me? Wild.' She was peak serious mode usually. Slight inferior? Ignore or revere. No middle ground. Her cracking jokes meant family-level closeness.
'When did she warm up to me?' Pretty sure we were tight now. Buddies with Guan Yu? Peak Three Kingdoms fan flex.
"Anyway, you look bored. Wanna loosen up with a stroll? Us country bumpkins don't get to sightsee cities like Ji often." She beckoned with a finger.
"Mm..." Street date, huh.
"Sure."
Guan Yu aside, passing up a solo outing with a beauty? No way. Belted my sword and stood. Oh, armor's heavy—better ditch it.
"Be back soon, Scale." I waved bye to my precious gear.
"Ha ha ha!! No need to say goodbye? You're one of a kind." Guan Yu cracked up, then slung an arm over my shoulder.
"Let's go!" Her bold call rang out... but I tensed up.
Squish. Big-chested girl arm-in-arm? That firm bounce... plus a sweet, girly scent unlike any man's. Body going haywire.
Anyway, Guan Yu and I were off for a city stroll.