Chapter 25
So, our group headed to Qing Province to suppress the Yellow Turbans. We were originally planning to go straight to Guangzong to help Lu Zhi, but we took a little detour to lend a hand in Qing Province.
But hey, getting there early wouldn't have helped anyway. Even if we rushed to Lu Zhi, he wasn't the type to aid Liu Bei's rise. By the time this was over, Lu Zhi would be dismissed due to various issues anyway.
"If I ignore the common folk and rush to my master, he'll surely scold me for it."
Liu Bei said solemnly.
"Kiyaaaa!! As expected of big brother!"
Zhang Fei shouted with an impressed look on his face.
"Mm. A fine master indeed."
Guan Yu nodded in agreement.
"Gaga. As expected, Gaga has wisdom. To share the same aspirations with such spirited heroes. Gaga is surely destined for greatness."
Bu Yong-hwa, riding in front of me, immediately started her fawning chatter. No, saying that on horseback is gonna bite your tongue. And 'Gaga'? That's a bit much. Why? Bu Yong-hwa seemed a little intoxicated by Liu Bei vibes. She probably thought following him would lead to great success.
But nope. I won't deny Liu Bei is a kingly hero. He rose from a mere villager to emperor of a kingdom, after all. The problem was the timing. He had this top-laner vibe, showing up all majestic only after our side was on the brink of collapse. Matching his pace meant everyone else died.
"Mm. I admit that. If it weren't for avenging my parents, I might have followed."
I deliberately slipped in "avenging my parents" to remind Liu Bei of his promise. I said it loud enough for him to hear. The promise... you'll keep it, right? Liu Bei? Right?
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At that moment, in Qingzhou Castle.
The situation at Qingzhou Castle was dire. A massive Yellow Turban force had surrounded it, burning the surrounding fields and buildings as they tightened the siege. There were soldiers inside the castle, but the Yellow Turbans outside outnumbered them vastly. Sending out troops would just mean massacre, so Governor Kong Rong kept his men inside, holding the defenses firmly.
Governor Kong Rong was in a bind. He pinned his hopes on reinforcements from You Province. He'd heard Liu Yan's army had recaptured Nanpi. Surely support would come to Qingzhou Castle nearby. That vague possibility was what he clung to.
I just wanted to bribe my way to a cushy post and live peacefully... Like any petty bureaucrat, he'd schemed for an easy officialdom life. Governor of a province, no less. He dreamed of coasting here till death, leisurely in his later years. Even in the Han's end times, he figured a small backwater like this wouldn't see real trouble. Yeah, classic "it won't happen to me" mindset.
But he never expected the Yellow Turbans to swarm like rabid dogs. What if rations ran out before rescue? His mind, worn down by prolonged siege, spiraled into dark thoughts.
And then, noise erupted near the Yellow Turban encirclement.
"W-what is it?"
Rescue? Kong Rong rushed to the walls to check.
A band of cavalry kicked up dust as they charged the Yellow Turbans. But the numbers were too few. Eyeballing it, maybe 500 at most. Against thousands of Yellow Turbans, Kong Rong deflated.
But that lasted seconds. That tiny force of around 500 went berserk, mowing down enemies like reapers. Each soldier fought like a one-man army, racking up insane kill ratios.
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"Urraaaaaah!!!"
The vanguard Liu-Guan-Zhang trio charged madly, cleaving through foes. Meanwhile, I halted my horse.
"Lady Bu, stay hidden in the grain cart and keep quiet. Don't come out until I say so."
I urged Bu Yong-hwa.
"Yes, Gaga!"
Without a hint of complaint, she crawled back into the grain cart. Her posture accentuated her pretty, plump rear, drawing my eyes unwittingly. But I forced my gaze away, steadying my mind.
If she sticks it out like this, she'll bail on her own. I figured hiding in a dusty grain hold would cool her head. She'd start questioning if this was worth it.
"You protect Lady Bu."
The horse wouldn't understand, but I patted it anyway. Neigh. Surprisingly, it didn't bolt, just snorted from atop the cart-pulling position. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. It had its listening moments.
Alright... here I go!!!
I drew my sword and charged across the field with the volunteer infantry.
"W-what the hell are these guys?!"
The Yellow Turbans turned hostile, drawing weapons and hesitating.
A frontliner Yellow Turban pressured me with a standard one-handed weapon thrust. I'd killed so many grunt Yellow Turbans, the pattern was familiar. I just reacted like a game character.
Twaaaang!!
I parried the blade, then swung down using my body's momentum in a fluid arc.
Spluuurt!!
Dao Ran's far-east sword was a true early-game beast. It cleaved the bastard's skull clean in two.
Plus, all these fights had pushed my combat stats and proficiency over 20. At this level, that was plenty for these mobs.
And level around 8. All the chaos had leveled me fast. Higher max HP and stamina from levels meant less fatigue. Felt like quitting smoking cold turkey.
Getting this far is a miracle. Newbies or other starts couldn't pull this off. Teaming with Liu Bei's crew turned me survival-focused, stats climbing from constant fights. Honest EXP grind. The game rewarded the grind.
This bracket? I'm king!!
With that resolve, I slashed through Yellow Turban grunts toward the front.
Spluuurt!!
Whoooosh!!
Up ahead, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were human lawnmowers, butchering Yellow Turbans. Not poetry—blood sprayed everywhere we went. Like plowing a field of men with the Liu-Guan-Zhang trio. Liu Bei's volunteer buffs helped, but his troops were elite, baseline 1v3 material.
Wonder what Guangzong's like... These guys were just stupid strong.
"Retreat!!! Scatter!!!"
"What do we do!! What do we do!!"
"I-I did my part!!"
Yellow Turbans morale crumbled, scattering like dust. Their grunts peeled away like onion skins, revealing the inner leader.
"You fucking bastards!! Cut down any who flee!!"
The leader tried rallying, but fat chance. Bandits gonna bandit.
Chance time. Zhang Yuanzi would've been iffy, but this scrub? Winnable.
Unnamed title-only fodder.
"Kkiyaaaaaaaak!!!!!"
I bellowed and charged.
"W-who's that psycho?! Stop him!!"
The leader swung his sword like a baton. But Yellow Turbans ignored him.
"That scream... the wail of a blood-mad ghost!!"
"Demon..."
"He's got guts draped around his neck...!! Insane!!!"
My desperate roar worked on them. Guts? Oh, battle grime. Clean later.
"Damn...!"
The leader stepped up to block. But starting scared? Guard first was his mistake. Guard what? I swung confidently, like Guan Yu pressuring me.
Twaaaang!!
Blades clashed; the leader visibly shook. Through the status window, his stamina halved-plus.
"How's that? Dizzy yet?!!"
Just one clash, and you feel the bullshit suppression!! The helplessness I felt against Guan Yu!! Feel it!! The powerlessness of pure defense!!!
Twaaaang!!
Another downswing bottomed his stamina.
"Kugh...!!"
As expected. He staggered into groggy. Posture collapsed—execute time.
Whooosh!!!
I kicked his shin, dropped him to knees, and slashed at his neck. Pure game kill cam instinct.
Clang!!!
The sword severed clean.
"Kyaa!!! Savage!!"
The volunteers cheered laughing. Yellow Turbans had no fight left; leader dead meant obvious rout. They bolted blindly.
The castle sensed the shift—gates flung open, garrison troops poured out.
"Waaaaah!!"
They knew to bus, blocking retreat and starting the slaughter. Record victory at Qingzhou Castle—a solid Liu Bei career boost. Historical event netted fate points too.
Level 10. Arms sore from kills, but leveled to 10 fast. HP and stamina surged.
Proficiency and stats... barely up. Mid-20s, creeping slow. Need stronger foes for gains.
Still, level 10 was harvest.
You can determine your Heavenly Mandate.
A message popped in the status window. Like other games... job change unlocked.
Thanks!! Qingzhou randos!!