Yellow Turban Raid (4)
Zhang Jiao, true to form as an early-game boss, came with few variables. Even if the player ignored the Yellow Turban Rebellion entirely, he'd hole up for a last stand in Guangzong and die there. Zhang Jiao ended up besieged in Guangzong Castle, where he was ultimately killed. His brothers Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang fell not long after. Even in the rare cases where Zhang Jiao survived, he couldn't escape death. His frail body probably gave out quickly. No matter the path, he was doomed to an unhappy end.
'If the imperial army gets to Zhang Jiao first, you can't obtain the Taiping Yaoshu.' If the imperial forces stormed in and took him out, the item itself vanished. They'd burn every scrap related to the Yellow Turbans. Of course they would—who'd leave rebel gear plotting to overthrow the state intact? It all went up in flames amid the chaos. To claim the Taiping Yaoshu, the player had to reach Zhang Jiao first. Without the army, naturally. The moment you snatched it, the imperials turned hostile on the spot.
'Guan Yu should be fine.' Strictly speaking, she wasn't part of the imperial army, so she wouldn't attack outright. Just explain the situation properly.
"Nu-na!! There's a path over there!"
You didn't have to brute-force through enemies one by one. There were shortcuts, of course. The devs had designed it with players beheading Zhang Jiao in mind.
"Kim... how did you..."
Guan Yu tilted her head. Ah, had he looked too suspicious? He felt a chill for a second...
"Hm. I've always said Kim has sharp eyes. Very well. If it's Kim's judgment, I'll trust and follow."
But Guan Yu spoke in her usual straightforward tone.
"....."
Yeah. Once she gave her heart, she stuck by you to the end. That was Guan Yu. You know the type—crystal-clear line between allies and everyone else. She was exactly that. Thanks to her trust, things went smoothly.
"You can't pass here!!!"
"Stop them!!"
Yellow Turban soldiers spotted us deep inside, drew their weapons, and yelled. Ah, we'd pulled aggro. But he wasn't alone. The Yellow Turbans had their hands full with the threats right in front of them.
"Uhahat!! Kill them all!!!"
Sun Jian's troops charged in like madmen, butchering Yellow Turbans and pushing forward.
'Damn, Sun Jian's strong as hell.'
True to his insane game stats, the guy was a beast. In both Romance and Records, Sun Jian always shone as a fierce general. The anti-Dong Zhuo coalition was basically his one-man carry. They say no mere infantry under a great general. Sun Jian's men fought like absolute pros on average.
"Push them!!! Make up for last time's defeat!!"
Dong Zhuo's Xiliang cavalry surged in like a tidal wave, burning with resolve to avenge their prior loss and shine.
"Woooaaargh!!!"
"Let's get promotions and head home in style!!!"
"For the people of the realm!!!"
In the distance, Liu Bei's army hammered away, unilaterally crushing the Yellow Turbans.
Clanggg-!! Clang!! Cling-!!
With everyone fixated forward and flanks exposed, Cao Cao struck the Yellow Turbans' sides and rear, trapping them like rats in a sack. Amid the imperial forces pounding from all sides, the Yellow Turbans were utterly demoralized. Perfect cover for Kim and Guan Yu to slip through the melee.
Of course, even with aggro scattered, the foes in front were ours to handle.
Clanggg-!! Thunk!!
Power up with the Taiping Yaoshu as material!! With that sole thought, he cleaved through every Yellow Turban in sight, advancing. And there was zero need to worry. He had Guan Yu, humanity's meat grinder, at his side. The continent's ultimate blender—that was her.
Spluuuurt!!!
Guan Yu swung her Green Dragon Crescent Blade in a massive arc. The Yellow Turbans in front vanished in a sweep. If the path got clogged, just deploy her.
"Nu-na!! Handle these enemies here too!"
Slicing foes yourself was fun, but he found himself relying on her performance without thinking.
"Got it! Depend on nu-na all you want!"
Guan Yu replied gladly, carving through enemies with another huge swing. Her beauty could make birds blush, but blood-splattered, even he—an ally—found her terrifying.
'No wonder she's a fierce general in both Romance and Records with that power.'
She was a one-woman army. And the game systems meshed perfectly.
Attack power rises the longer the battle continues.
With combat dragging on, her attack power skyrocketed by the minute.
Spluuuurt!
Now even her casual swings turned Yellow Turbans into scattered meat chunks. Dizzying, right? He just stationed her beside him to auto-handle the defense. Meanwhile, he pried open the suspiciously placed boulder.
Rumble.
The secret passage he'd seen countless times in-game appeared. For melee chars, the meta was snag the Taiping Yaoshu, then hit up Wu Gil for Taiji Swordsmanship. Some players bolted straight there from the start. The few hardcore users called it the "Zhang Jiao Run." Even non-sword users grabbed Taiji Swordsmanship—it was that broken.
"Nu-na!! There it is! Straight into this tunnel!!"
He announced it in a tone even he found unnatural.
"Hm!! Right you are!!"
But Guan Yu showed no suspicion, just sliced more foes cleanly and followed.
'Does she not know how to doubt at all?'
This wouldn't do. He had to protect her from bad influences. Such a dubious sense of duty welled up in him.
------
A massive tunnel sprawled beneath Guangzong Castle.
"To think there's a place like this."
Guan Yu awkwardly dragged her Green Dragon Crescent Blade, looking uncomfortable. The spear's sheer size made it useless in tight, enclosed spaces. A drawback of the plain-shattering weapon on rough terrain.
"Zhang Jiao probably knew defeat was coming. He dug this to escape ahead of time."
He bullshitted casually.
"...I see."
Guan Yu nodded.
"This leads straight to his main base. We'll take his head in one go."
With her along, what was there to fear?
"Mm. Let's end this chaos quick."
She could rack up merits. Her eyes sparkled at the thought.
------
The long tunnel soon showed an exit. Noses numb from the musty earth scent. He shoved through the wooden-plank door into the inner keep of Guangzong Castle. The tunnel bypassed the walls straight to the heart.
"Hngh....!! How did this....!!"
A lone Yellow Turban soldier trembled there.
"Damn... joined 'cause it was hot shit, but if the imperials breach like this, we're done."
"Loot what we can and bail. Yeah?"
Morale in the gutters, they watched Guangzong crumble in real-time through the windows. Then the plank lifted—our faces popped out. They froze in shock. Like a Pokétard spotting a Diglett.
"Sh—!"
Never dreaming foes from underground, they stumbled back.
"Peekaboo!!"
Shouting big, he leaped up, slamming his left foot down hard for momentum.
"Kgh...!"
Before one could react, he neatly slit his throat with his sword.
"Yaaargh!!! Who dares face this Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade!!"
Guan Yu, relieved at the open space, smashed down with thunderous force. Like lightning striking, another Yellow Turban's head exploded, brains scattering. Damn, reliable.
"Nu-na!! Zhang Jiao's upstairs!! Straight charge!!"
Normally, stealth and assassinate if stats were iffy—but her OP specs let them bulldoze.
"Right!! Let's go!! Kim!!"
Guan Yu led, sprinting into the keep. They climbed the half-ladder, half-stair ancient steps, punching through to the core. The Yellow Turbans were geared for a final stand—most troops on the walls. The keep held only a handful of elites.
"Yaaargh!!"
One swung a massive axe.
Clangggg!!!!
He angled his sword to block, but couldn't fully negate the brute force. Kiiing. The axe grazed his shoulder. Basic gear would've meant injury, but he wore scaled armor looted from some nameless Yellow Turban. No real damage.
Twist.
He twisted the blade, jamming it into one's jaw and whipping it around. He'd gotten pretty strong himself. Strength, agility, stamina—all averaged over 25 now. Swordsmanship higher from endless practice swings. Regular mobs were no issue.
"Zhang Jiao, show yourself!!!"
Guan Yu bellowed, smashing the door to the upper pavilion with her blade.
Craaack!!!
Wood splintered like a cookie. Through the debris, in yellow robes, stood a man gripping a sword.
"Cough.... Finally, the Han vermin... have come... cough."
Spitting blood lightly, Zhang Jiao glared with fury. The Yellow Turban leader himself. Time to end him quick and grab the Taiping Yaoshu. Honestly, that was all on his mind right now.