Killing the Beasts (2)
Humans truly are fascinating creatures. Even after someone dies, hunger strikes, food slides down smoothly, and day by day, as time passes, the memory of that death begins to fade and vanish from the mind.
Before long, spring had arrived. That chilling moment under the rain had frozen with the winter snow, melting away without a trace, and the bodies were buried in the ground before the beasts could devour them over the cold months, prayers offered for their peaceful rest. A new year dawned once more.
If there was one piece of news that shocked the continent most, it was the disappearance of the two great villains who had dominated the realm. Guo Si was dead. Li Jue was dead.
Guo Si and Li Jue had intimidated the Emperor to seize high offices for themselves and turned Chang'an into their personal fiefdom, but with the Emperor gone, their power began to wane. No one wanted to cling to a rotting rope.
The general who had taken root in Wan was originally a subordinate of Zhang Ji, who had fled from Li Jue and Guo Si, and those weary of the villains' antics had all abandoned Chang'an.
The numerous warlords hadn't left Guo Si and Li Jue alone out of fear. There were countless reasons one could cite, but the ultimate one was that they held the Emperor hostage.
"If you don't withdraw your armies, we'll kill the Emperor!"
Threatening with the Emperor himself meant the warlord who marched to subdue them would bear the infamy. Thus, until the Emperor personally escaped Chang'an, no one dared attack them recklessly.
But now, things were different.
"Though Li Jue and Guo Si possess formidable military prowess, it's not unbeatable."
Cao Cao didn't let them be. To reclaim the Emperor, Li Jue and Guo Si prowled around Luoyang and into Yanzhou territory, and Cao Cao repeatedly mobilized troops to check them.
"Rebels, submit quietly to the royal command!"
"Flee to Chang'an!"
...Why aren't they coming all the way to Chang'an?
"Why bother going that far? Heh heh."
Yet, on the other hand, she didn't lead her own forces to crush them personally.
"By the Emperor's decree, I proclaim: to the one who brings the heads of Li Jue and Guo Si shall be granted rice, gold, a house, and an official post!"
Sending troops all the way to Chang'an was impractical. Better to launch three more expeditions to Shouchun than march there—unless personally escorting the Emperor back, it would be suicide for Cao Cao's army.
So Cao Cao placed bounties on Li Jue and Guo Si's heads, and it proved spectacularly effective.
"Duan Wei, you too?!"
Those who had once pledged loyalty to the Emperor in Luoyang, or even subordinates of Li Jue and Guo Si, began betraying them one by one.
Just as Dong Zhuo had fallen to Lü Bu's betrayal, Guo Si first lost his life to his own men.
Li Jue was struck down when independent warlords allied with Cao Cao's forces to assault Chang'an, and he rode out to counterattack only to be assassinated.
"Why have you betrayed me?!"
"Shut up, traitor to Han!"
"Yesterday we shared drinks and swore brotherhood, and today you poison my cup...! I'll haunt you as a ghost!"
"Traitor! Repelled!"
This era of chaos was truly the age of beasts. In a world where those trying to live like humans were easily devoured, I too had chosen to become a beast to survive.
It felt good. I no longer sat dumbly enduring when my possessions were taken. If one thing was stolen, I repaid with two, and now I struck first to prevent any theft at all.
Living that way, I began to yearn for sights of people living humanely in this harsh world.
Living together with others. With righteousness, propriety, and principle. Perhaps yearning for a life not in isolation, but in harmony with fellow beings.
"Living together is a good thing."
"A life surrounded only by women?"
"...Liang."
What answer should I give as her master to Zhuge Liang's words—one most fitting?
"Yeah."
Affirmation. Not educationally ideal, but Zhuge Liang was the exception.
"You don't deny it."
"I know you're not being serious."
"Right, it was a joke."
She's already intellectually complete.
Lacking only experience, she was essentially an adult. By my personal standard—Heaven's Mechanism deemed adulthood at twenty—she might not qualify, but by this land's view, she was one.
"Men only truly strive to realize their worth when reason aligns with desire. What happens if one woman is among ten men?"
"She'd be treated like a princess."
"Exactly. And the reverse?"
"Barring extreme exceptions, he'd become the women's slave."
"Extreme exceptions? Like what?"
"A mediocre man amid women becomes their servant, but a strikingly handsome one becomes emperor."
"Zhuge Liang indeed."
"I pondered deeper what you taught last time, Master. In this world of beasts, I appear abnormal to their eyes. Heh heh."
What brilliant insight! Treating such talent like a mere child might irk her again.
"Thus, Master, surrounding yourself with women seems most fitting."
"Live as their servant?"
"You know."
"Liang, come here. I'll stroke your hair once."
"Once isn't enough. Keep going."
So, the right response is to meet her with the same gaze.
"Liang. But it seems you're misunderstanding something."
"What?"
"I simply want a life surrounded by capable people, helping each other."
"And those are women?"
"Yes. Once I gathered the capable ones, they turned out to be women."
"No men?"
"None."
Jingzhou brimmed with famed scholars, yet most fell short of even the baseline Seo Seo.
The two from the Guo clan conversed decently, but had grave flaws in humanity.
Not illogical leaps, but the women around me were uniformly clever, wise, sharp-minded, thoughtful, and profound.
That's why I kept them close. Otherwise, I'd have driven them off, fled myself, or kept distance.
"Still, this is merely Jingzhou. A place somewhat spared by the wars among the realm's multitudes. There are plenty of men as clever as me... if not you."
Zhuge Liang was beyond human. By my judgment, her intellect surpassed mortal limits.
"Always keep this in mind. However exceptional I may be, the world may hold others superior in different ways."
Her only lack was experience.
"No one will deny your intellectual prowess. But they might deny your other abilities."
"What other abilities?"
"Your criteria for judging people."
Zhuge Liang was otherworldly, akin to a divine mountain.
"You judge by utmost purity and nobility, by righteousness, duty, fairness, and oaths. Thus, you can't grasp the lives of beast-like fiends. Bluntly, you don't know trash life."
Zhuge Liang was kind. "You may never understand those who commit acts worse than beasts just to survive."
Had she not been born in this chaos, she'd have been a legendary prime minister making her nation prosperous and strong. Even now, with high power, she'd revive Han as a great general—but in the process, she'd judge people harshly.
"Liang. Look at those boys fighting in the fields there."
Perfectly timed—on our walk through the paddies, two boys were brawling over who was stronger.
I should stop them, but I won't. The nosebleeds they shed today would fertilize Zhuge Liang's understanding of humanity.
"Do you understand those boys?"
"No. I don't get why they're fighting. Can't they just not?"
"Yeah. Males are wired to lose their minds over pride."
Why they fought? I knew.
"They've been playing generals since earlier, arguing nonstop. Over who gets to be Yuan Shu's general."
"Foolish. Who'd want to play Yuan Shu's side unless it's someone like Pang Tong?"
"Liang, Pang Tong's the same age as Sima Yi."
"Have you seen me treat Sima Yi like a little sister?"
"......."
Truly divine. Human flaws abound in character, unrelated to physique, yet Zhuge Liang excelled in every way.
"Unless the gap's as wide as with Seo Seo."
Consecutive strikes! Rankings were set, but none in Suyeon Academy could outtalk Zhuge Liang.
"Ho ho ho, anyone angering me may leave my class... Liang? What are you doing?"
"I came for lessons, only to find a granny mocking students. I'll return Uncle's donation. Remove the plaque."
"Th-this...!!"
"I'm leaving."
Even Sima Hui clutched her neck at Zhuge Liang's antics. Effectively, I took full charge of her education.
...More like keeping her with me than teaching.
Without her uncle Jeokgal Hyeon's massive donation, Sima Hui would've acted long ago.
Anyway. No one dared mishandle Zhuge Liang. Closest were age-gapped Seo Seo, persistently challenging Pang Tong, and self-proclaimed rival Sima Yi.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"Those kids want to be Liu Biao's generals because Liu Biao's army won, right?"
"Yes."
Humans crave victory. Beasts too, likely.
"Master. Sorry, but later, play a game with me."
"Uh, sure?"
"A big match."
"Go?"
"Go's fine, or... mock battles."
Zhuge Liang fidgeted her feet as she spoke.
"Pang Tong keeps challenging me with old battles, and lately it's getting risky. Seems she's allying with Sima Yi, plotting together before attacking."
"I haven't heard Pang Tong beat you yet, so aren't you still winning?"
"Yes. But her moves are getting dirtier. For humans... ah."
Finally, Zhuge Liang grasped it.
"...That's how beasts live."
"You're not calling Pang Tong and Sima Yi beasts right now, are you?"
"Sima Yi aside, Pang Tong calls herself a chick."
"Phoenix chick, please."
Not crude-mouthed. Just direct.
"So, what do you want to learn? From your beastly fallen master—beast thinking?"
"Yes."
Good. Still something to teach her.
"Very well. I'll teach you the life of beasts. Perfect textbook here; we'll discuss him."
I picked up the bamboo slips from Heodo.
"From now, let's discuss the king of beasts."
Red Hare. King among horses.
And Lü Bu. King of beasts.