Chapter 47
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei (2)
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The sharpest spear of Cao Cao's army—striking faster than anyone, from the most dangerous spots, overwhelming enemies like a bolt of lightning.
An Myeong took pride in the name of the Tiger and Leopard Riders.
They had trampled the vast plains of Hebei beneath their horses' hooves, and their lances had pierced through everything without fail.
He assumed this time would be no different.
A routed Liu Bei army was, naturally, ripe prey.
Just mercilessly slaughtering the scattered rabbits fleeing after betraying the Prime Minister's grace.
However.
Amid the screams, fervent cheers, and the metallic tang of blood.
An Myeong felt a chill of dread creeping up his spine.
One white speck ascending against the tide of fleeing enemy soldiers, riding the flow of his own allies, climbing the waterfall without hesitation.
That speck was drawing closer.
"What the hell is that?"
His comrade beside him spat and said,
"Some lunatic who's lost his mind and wants to die. Kahaha."
But An Myeong couldn't laugh.
The single speck amid the crimson waves drew nearer, and nearer still.
Bathed in sprays of blood, the enemy's silver-armored figure emerged.
"Impressive courage, at least!"
An army of a hundred thousand strong.
Breaking through nearly five thousand elite Tiger and Leopard Riders to reach this point.
Was that...
Something a human could do?
Before An Myeong's thoughts could finish, his comrade charged forward like a whirlwind.
And then.
Kwachak!
The spear tip gruesomely burst through his neck and shoulder. Without even a scream.
Soon after.
Irresistible death began piercing through them.
Soldiers dying, subordinates dying, superiors dying, comrades dying—everything in his path simply dying.
Was that a human?
Could you even call that a human?
It was martial prowess that inspired awe.
But An Myeong bit his lip.
Blood trickling down his chin restored his pride as a Tiger and Leopard Rider.
"The enemy's alone!"
"Form ranks and surround him!"
"Kill him!"
Bolstered by the infantry voices rising from behind like reinforcements.
An Myeong frantically spurred his horse forward.
The man, whose originally silver armor was now drenched in blood, looked like a demon returned from the underworld.
"Z-Zhao...!"
"It's Zhao Yun!"
Soldiers who recognized him screamed, but he paid no mind.
He was the sharpest spear of Cao Cao's army, after all.
As the din of battle faded like a lie, An Myeong gripped his trident tightly.
"Take this—!"
With a bold shout, he gauged the distance and swung his blade without hesitation.
This strike should be enough to fell him.
That's what he thought.
But in that instant.
An Myeong saw it.
Two pupils.
No—two pairs of pupils.
"—!"
Seeing a tiny life frowning in the ripped-open chest of the armor, crying softly.
An Myeong froze for a moment.
One child.
Had this man climbed through this hell while cradling a single child?
"Why—"
Regrettably.
His question couldn't continue.
He tried to grip and swing his blade, but his arm lacked strength.
An Myeong glanced down.
There, he saw.
A spear tip that had cleanly pierced his heart.
A strike of utmost speed, too fast even to perceive the swing.
Ah.
I see.
So that's Zhao Yun of Changshan—
An Myeong's consciousness faded.
......
......
"Your lover Zhang Yide is here! If any dare to stake their lives against me, come forth and settle it!"
With the sole resolve to rescue his lord's wife and child, Zhao Yun spurred his horse like flying through the near-suicidal Changban Slope.
Zhang Fei, recognizing the genius of the young strategist Zhuge Liang and boldly holding off ten thousand elites alone per his plan.
And two stunning illustrations that Kim Yul had painstakingly squeezed out of Historie.
A development dripping with pure thrill, enough to slap back and forth the Cao Cao fanboys who kept slanderously claiming, "He's running away again—how many times now?"
"Bluffing has its limits—this is so over-the-top, I'd believe it if you called it a dragon's roar...!"
"Escaping alive while saving the baby in his arms? At this point, Zhao Yun's basically #1 in raw power rankings."
"Swinging like that and his weapon's still fine? Just how legendary are Liu Bei's blacksmiths—dwarves or what?!"
"Ahem! I am Zhao the Silver Spear of Changshan! Raaaaah!"
Those who had been slouching, bored and expecting more frustrating twists, now sat up straight.
Moreover, Kim Yul slyly pushed the scene of Liu Bei hurling Ah Dou to the next chapter, delivering pure catharsis and dopamine from start to finish!
Of course.
"If Cao Cao hadn't ordered them captured alive, none of this mess would've happened...?"
"Hm, isn't this too contrived?"
"Ordering capture alive while your troops get massacred? Who thinks like that in their right mind?"
There were fair, fact-based criticisms too.
But as always, chwek chwek.
"Remember the Fivefold Butchery...!"
"Cao Cao trait: Obsessed with talent and married women."
Plausibility is built from foreshadowing, after all.
The actions of Prime Minister Chwek—the villain who steadily built his ambitions in Part 1—served as perfect callbacks.
Today too, Cao Cao's fans shed bloody tears.
It was a minor, routine occurrence.
And.
"...!"
"Limited edition card...!"
"Changban Slope pack...? SSR Silver Spear Zhao Yun, SSR Omniscient Zhang Fei...?"
New battlefields bring new cards.
At this obvious truth, card enthusiasts tore open packs through their tears today as well.
'R Ah Dou Tossed to the Ground' greeted them.
Just as light and darkness must always coexist.
The world and the Demon Realm contended endlessly for territory, separated by the alien boundary of rifts.
If the Empire's rift connected to the Demon Realm's west.
Roselin's homeland.
The Holy Kingdom's great rift linked to the Demon Realm's east.
The Holy Kingdom was stronger in might than any nation on the continent.
But most of their power was devoted to suppressing the Demon Realm.
There was the intent to stand firm as the shield guarding the world in service to the Goddess Church.
But more than that.
The Demon Realm's east was several times more dangerous than the west.
While the west occasionally boasted massive beasts too ferocious for anyone but a Hero to fell.
The east was simply teeming with demons.
Demons resembling humans, swarming in numbers far exceeding humanity.
"Goddess..."
Today too, someone sighed amid the wave of oncoming demons.
Words that could sap morale, yet no one contradicted him.
Like a dam bursting, floods pouring forth.
Before the massive wave of the Demon Realm's writhing will seeking world's end, all sought the Goddess.
Despite the lethargy pervading the camp.
"Hoo, shall we give it a go today too."
Hero Bysakh gripped his holy sword firmly.
At first, it was faith.
Now, mere duty, the weight of countless lives on his shoulders, responsibility, and nobility.
Pouring it all into his whirling blade, he advanced silently.
The moment he stepped forward.
"Huh?"
His eyes widened.
In the distance.
Not the deep darkness symbolizing demons, but a form scattering radiant starlight glow.
Thanks to eyesight beyond ordinary folk, the figure etched clearly on Bysakh's retina.
Pure white surging forward, swinging a silver spear—its pressure alone bursting demons into nothingness.
Blazing flames savagely slamming a serpentine spearhead into the ground, vaporizing all in its path.
The flames flickered as if laughing heartily, and the pure white spun its spear in salute.
"No way..."
Bysakh recalled words from Hero Serephin of the Empire not long ago.
Angels occasionally appear on the Demon Realm's western front.
An angel quietly plucking strings, reciting melodies—vanquishing mighty demons as if tearing the sky.
Where angels appear, colors bloom like spilled paint.
- You expect me to believe that? Angels? Haha...
- You've been duped your whole life, Bysakh? Bald eagle angels show up too sometimes?
He hadn't believed it, naturally.
But...
"O-oh!"
"An angel! An angel has descended!"
"The Goddess heard my prayers...!"
"L-look there, it's earth-toned...!"
"Not gray—real, actual dirt color!"
Some knelt in prayer.
Others cried out the Goddess's name.
Some dropped weapons and hugged comrades.
Discipline shattered in that instant.
But in this miraculous moment, who cared about discipline?
If those were truly angels.
Even so.
Bysakh had one task.
"Roselin! Charge!"
"Y-yes!"
Driving back the demons.
Protecting the joy surging from behind.
That was a Hero's duty.
"Tons of fan letters today too."
"They're all hate mail, though? Nothing to be happy about."
Chloe chided, but I was relaxed.
Masterpieces naturally attract trolls and haters—it's the way of the world.
Let's see, shall I open one?
[Empire Elf Environmental Protection Association]
[Xuzhou flooded, Wuzhang Plains ablaze, even Changban Slope... Please consider the environment more in your writing. Otherwise, baldness awaits you...]
"Chloe, come here."
"What'd it say?"
Instead of explaining, I handed the letter to Kanpeu.
"Spot on, every word—gyaaah!"
This is why Kanpeu won't do.
Scorched earth tactics are basic strategy, and flooding foes is a proud ethnic tradition from the Battle of the Floods, right?
"Noah, Noah, Noah my lord!"
"Wonder what the next reactions will be."
I idly fanned the manuscript.
Year 208, September.
Liu Bei safely escapes Changban Slope.
And.
Same year, November.
Just two months later.
A massive river pollution event was coming.
Of course, first I needed to wrap up the Zhuge Liang deification project and the Sima Yi scrub-escape project.