Finally Meeting the Heroes (5)
Puuuuk!! A Xiliang soldier, cleanly sliced by the sword, scattered into chunks of flesh right away. His expression before death was filled with utter bewilderment. Am I really dying? That kind of face.
"You fucking bastard...!!"
"Hey!! What the hell are you doing?!!"
The Xiliang soldiers immediately leveled their weapons at me.
"Why? Does it hit different when you guys are the ones dying? Huh?"
But these bastards had crossed the line. They were no different from the psychopathic raiders straight out of some apocalypse flick.
"This cocky little shit..."
At that moment, someone came charging toward me in a battle chariot, driving it like a maniac.
Seo Yeong. One of Dong Zhuo's ace generals. In this story, he rode around in a custom-modified battle chariot.
"Looks like drawing a bit of attention has you itching to show off, but you're getting too rowdy."
Seo Yeong glared right at me and spat.
Click. Without a word, I placed my hand on my sword hilt.
Turning the Xiliang army against us now would definitely count as treason... but backing down here wasn't an option either.
"Lord Liu Bei. What's the meaning of this?"
Then, Dong Zhuo's slow, drawling voice echoed from afar. We all whipped our heads around. He sat leisurely on his horse, staring straight at us.
"Beizhonglang General. Isn't this going too far? Killing Yellow Turbans is one thing... but slaughtering innocent commoners willy-nilly and razing their homes? No need for that."
Liu Bei asked.
"Ha. What a joke."
Dong Zhuo smirked.
"No choice in the matter. The Han issued the edict to suppress them, but they're not providing any real supplies. So we procure locally—which means plundering. What else is there?"
Dong Zhuo continued, "And when soldiers' discontent builds up in wartime? How do you handle that? Eh? Best way to placate them is simple: let 'em kill, loot, and rape indiscriminately. Keeps 'em docile."
His words were pure apocalypse.
"Then what crime did those commoners commit...?"
"We're doing this for those commoners. Eh? Sacrifice for the greater good. Was there ever a war without plunder? I'm just following Heaven's mandate."
Dong Zhuo chuckled and patted Liu Bei's shoulder.
"That's not Heaven's mandate. That's unfilial tyranny."
Liu Bei stared at him stone-faced.
"Uhahat!!! You've got some bite on you!"
Dong Zhuo bellowed with laughter, then straightened his expression. "But... who are you to lecture me? You're not higher rank than me. Eh? We're just allies here. Let's keep it amicable, yeah?"
He scanned us all, then fixed his gaze on me.
"By the way. Kim Gong, was it? Unexpected."
Dong Zhuo suddenly turned his arrow on me.
"I figured you for the type who enjoys killing, just like our boys. Eh. Same blood stench. But turns out you've still got some righteousness left in you."
Dong Zhuo smirked. Felt like he'd seen right through me.
"Whatever. We'll rack up the achievements anyway. You lot can dawdle around with your benevolence and righteousness."
After that, he eyed the half-wrecked streets of Julu.
"This'll be the launch point for taking Guangzong."
Dong Zhuo wheeled his horse around and led his troops off.
At that moment, Bu Yong-hwa couldn't hide her pounding heart as she gazed at Kim's retreating back.
"Y-Yes... as expected..."
Her instincts about men had proven spot-on. Bu Yong-hwa felt an immense surge of elation.
That brave figure confronting injustice, that heroic spirit. He was the ideal man she'd dreamed of.
Political marriages were the norm, but as a descendant of the Xiongnu, she instinctively knew the way of life passed down through the women of her tribe.
A woman must take a superior, strong man as her husband. That was the Xiongnu way for women across generations. Only then could she find protection in this harsh world.
The brutal Xiongnu environment had honed their women's discerning eyes.
One look at Kim, and Bu Yong-hwa knew for sure. This man.
Ah, my lower belly... it started pounding like crazy.
She recalled a piece of wisdom from her late mother.
Yong-hwa... you're a beauty, so plenty of men will come chasing you. But don't panic—follow the instincts passed down from our ancestors.
Her mother had smiled that same pretty smile from her deathbed.
When your lower belly stirs... grab that man.
Bu Yong-hwa had followed it to the letter. Right now, it felt like a million-strong army was thundering inside her belly.
My lord...
Bu Yong-hwa gazed at Kim with dreamy eyes.
That wench... giving me those bitch-in-heat eyes again...
She could feel Guan Yu's intensely wary glare, but Bu Yong-hwa paid it no mind whatsoever.
Right after Dong Zhuo declared he'd sweep straight for Guangzong, our Liu Bei army focused on stabilizing the local sentiment.
Dong Zhuo truly had no grasp of the basics of occupation. The straight road from Julu to Guangzong—that was all he cared about, utterly ignoring the surrounding terrain.
He'd only clear areas when he needed supplies or plunder. No wonder the nearby public sentiment couldn't stabilize properly.
Whenever official forces appeared, they'd hide in the city centers, only for Yellow Turban remnants to pop up again after Dong Zhuo's army rolled through. Total whack-a-mole inefficiency.
In the end, the commoners Dong Zhuo ignored fell to our Liu Bei army to handle.
"Thank goodness!! Not the Xiliang!! It's Liu Bei army!!"
"Lord Liu Bei!!"
The civilians burst into tears at the sight of us, bowing frantically.
"You've starved plenty. Fill your bellies first, then follow our lead to safety."
Liu Bei sincerely distributed rations for meals.
Zhang Shiping and Xiao Shuang blew up about using our food... but when Liu Bei said food exists for people to eat, they just shrugged it off.
Dealing with remnants and providing relief? To farmers plundered by Yellow Turbans in Julu, we were virtual saviors. Straight-up UNICEF.
Thanks to that, Liu Bei's name spread far and wide around here. Folks would cheer at the sight of our volunteer banners alone.
For the peasants, getting "saved" was like a gacha pull. Liu Bei army? Best pull. Other official armies? Normal. Xiliang? Game over.
"Brother. This area's wrapped up."
Zhang Fei yawned, covered in blood, as he reported to Liu Bei.
We combat types—me, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu—had just finished mopping up nearby Yellow Turban remnants with the troops.
"Mm. Good work. This region's secure now."
Liu Bei let out a relieved sigh and gently stroked the head of a child who'd cried themselves to sleep from exhaustion.
"Brother. Who's gonna notice all this? We can't let that Dong Zhuo bitch steal the glory!! Eh? Let's claim it ourselves!"
Zhang Fei clearly wasn't thrilled with the touchy-feely charity work.
"Hm..."
Guan Yu didn't show it, but she seemed to feel the same.
"Glory? Is glory more important than people? Glory comes from people, praise from people. All great endeavors must be rooted in the people's hearts. Obsess over glory, and people turn ugly. Learn nothing from Dong Zhuo?"
Liu Bei looked up and scolded his brothers.
"Sorry, brother."
Zhang Fei tucked tail immediately. Just from a look? How the hell did Liu Bei raise them?
Even Liu Bei, preaching like that, showed a hint of anxiety. They'd come this far; naturally, he wanted some merit too.
Even with that inner conflict, he chose the righteous path in the end.
Hypocrisy or not, it was hypocrisy so rock-solid you had to respect it.
But as everyone fretted, Dong Zhuo wouldn't snag any credit anyway. He'd suffer a crushing defeat at Zhang Jiao's main force.
Truth was, the Yellow Turban Rebellion? Carried by Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun. Dong Zhuo showed utterly pathetic military insight.
We just wait till we link with the main force, then show our valor.
I yawned inwardly while eyeing the crew.
"Hmph. Kim's always so composed. Quite mature."
Then Guan Yu gave a sly smile my way.
Damn, when a beauty praises you... can't help but delusionally think does she like me? Seductive big sis.
"Nah. Not really."
I schooled my expression and steadied my heart.
"Right! Kim Gong's so mature and cool..."
Bu Yong-hwa, handing out rice balls to civilians, shot me a honey-dripping look.
"Hm... agreed."
Guan Yu's face soured a touch at Bu Yong-hwa butting in.
Ah. Still awkward with Bu Yong-hwa, huh.
Meanwhile, Cao Cao's army under Huangfu Song's command had entered Julu's borderlands.
It was one day during the week Liu Bei's forces were doing civilian aid.
The army in red armor cut an imposing figure. Cao Cao started with his own funds, bolstered by the fierce efforts of the Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan sisters—who had martial prowess—and troops equipped with top gear bought by daddy's money. They one-sidedly swept any Yellow Turbans in the area.
"Everyone!! Rest easy!! Cao Cao Mengde has come to save you!!!"
Cao Cao shouted grandly, thrusting his sword high.
"...Thank you."
"Ooh."
But the villagers' response was a bit lukewarm, leaving Cao Cao flustered.
What? This reaction?
Too stunned? As Cao Cao puzzled it over and tried to brush it off—
A clueless-looking kid piped up. "Aw. Not the Liu Bei army. Mom and Dad said they'd love if Liu Bei came."
The adults went pale, smacking the kid right away.
"...Hmmm?"
Liu Bei army? Which outfit was that? Official forces?
Hearing the kid, Cao Cao suddenly perked up with massive interest.
"Little one. What's this Liu Bei army?"
Cao Cao dismounted and asked the kid kindly.
His narrow eyes were slightly widened. They gleamed with undisguised curiosity... and rivalry.