Chasing the Fireflies
The man in green clothes is the protagonist, right? -3
I pursued the three fireflies.
There were three enemies. They wore deep masks hiding their faces, but during the chase, one mask slipped off.
At that moment, the enemies stopped fleeing.
"This Zhao Zilong has memorized your face!"
That single line froze them in place.
The turned enemies began clustering together. The ones with mouths covered by masks exuded killing intent.
The assassins drew their swords in unison. The lead one charged.
No way to know if the enemy craved killing or death.
Couldn't fathom why they'd risk their lives over something so trivial.
But no choice—respond in kind.
The enemy was overconfident, drunk on numerical superiority, flaunting his assassin pride.
"You little shitttt!"
The lead enemy's assault was ferocious.
I parried the blade and suddenly thrust my spear sideways.
I inhaled the cold mist with all my might.
"Haat!" "Aaaagh!!"
The assassin stabbed in the side tumbled away, still breathing but groaning faintly.
Two more leaped from the shadows behind a tree, thrusting blades at me in ambush.
Clang! Clang!
Their blades grazed my side.
The enemy's sword couldn't pierce my armor.
Now the enemies halted their slashes, raising swords for thrusts and resetting their stances.
"Zhao Zilong of Changshan!"
I showed due respect to those seeking a duel to the death.
The enemies didn't reply and charged again.
Even maintaining distance, they pressed relentlessly. They alternated dives into my guard—trained swordsmen. Their offense was precise and straightforward, targeting armor joints with deadly sharpness. Because it was textbook, simple motions that could easily kill, I could counter.
Couldn't just defend forever.
I wiped the dirt from near my eyes with my armored forearm and went on the attack.
I gripped the spear short.
As they entered my range, I plunged deep inside.
"Fuck! Aaaaagh!!!!"
The enemy with a pierced shoulder screamed and collapsed.
I lengthened my grip and stabbed his spine three times.
Rolling the still-breathing foe with my foot sent him tumbling down the mountainside, soon falling silent.
"Hah… hah… haaah…."
The last enemy, killing intent shattered by his comrade's death, turned and bolted madly through the woods.
I hesitated on pursuit but steeled myself and ran.
What's done is done.
Wind whistling past my ears sounded like screams.
The enemy, blocked by thick underbrush, was caught.
"M-Master… please… spare my life."
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
I smashed the heart and skull of the cowering, prostrate enemy.
I wiped the bloody flesh and grime from my spear tip and climbed back up the mountain path.
At the top, the one I'd side-stabbed who led the charge was already dead.
*
Uncle Zhao Yun was drenched in sweat—probably from some training.
"You're back quicker than I thought?"
"Just a simple errand. Were you looking for me?"
"Yeah. Let's talk."
Liu Bei's personal guards had taken over the Hanzhong house, and Uncle Zhao Yun shadowed my every move before I knew it. He'd already... crossed the line. So I decided. Time for a proper chat.
"Speak freely. I'll help however I can with what I know."
I eyed the coolly agreeable Zhao Yun and shifted in my seat.
"But I can ask anything?"
"Of course. Isn't it just questions back and forth?"
Fair enough. Asking a few curiosities wouldn't end the world.
And he was one of the few treating me with real goodwill.
Above all, this guy's got solid character—might as well trust him.
"War's coming to Jingzhou, right? We'll have to abandon Xinyang."
Caught off guard by the unexpected words, Uncle Zhao Yun looked flustered.
"You should watch your words, miss. This isn't the place."
"No one's listening?"
Uncle Zhao Yun glanced around and sighed.
"True now, but places like this always have ears."
"Let 'em hear. We're not plotting anything real."
He nodded like he got it.
"If that's your intent, miss, go ahead."
I wanted confirmation on my thoughts. Outwardly a question, but really forcing my view on him. The gist of my intel pitch to Uncle Zhao Yun:
Cao Cao cannot abandon Xinyang. It's too close to Ye Castle—lose that, and he loses the Emperor = total fuckery.
History says so.
Cao Cao planned to move the capital. Right after pacifying the north, he'd pull it off.
To wield his signature charisma—carrots and massive sticks on the northern clans—he needs the Emperor.
Even if Han's fallen, the Han brand, centuries old, still burns in people's hearts.
Puppet or not, he's the Emperor.
Any threat to Emperor-holding Ye Castle, even slim, means war at Xinyang.
Definitely.
"Cao Cao wants to pacify the north. Subjugate all four commanderies, no loose ends. Hypothesis: even without pretext to hit Jingzhou, he can strike Xinyang. Ye Province's governor is Lord Liu Bei."
"But behind Lord Liu Bei stands Lord Liu Biao—Cao Cao must watch Jingzhou's moves too, no?"
"You think?"
Uncle Zhao Yun nodded.
"You're assuming Cao Cao moves on Xinyang, but Lord Liu Biao doesn't, right?"
"Yep. Kinda frustrating. Did Lord Liu Bei ever suggest hitting Cao Cao to Lord Liu Biao?"
He shook his head.
"Hard to discuss military matters."
"Fine. Hear more? If we can't preemptively strike Ye Castle, we must ditch Xinyang. Tiny plot of land. Fine sacrifice for the grand cause."
Uncle Zhao Yun's brows rose slightly.
"You're speaking of grand strategy now, miss. Benefit to abandoning Xinyang?"
"Big one. Cao Cao will crave Jingzhou. Even if Wu pushes past Xu into Hefei, Xu's already Mengde turf—flat plains mean reinforcements fly in fast. Cao Cao knows that."
From Wei's view, holding Jingzhou cages Wu. Concentrate forces there, react to Xu threats as they come. Possible 'cause Xu's plains. Cede worthless Mengde land, beef up Hefei—Wu gets screwed.
"So if you unfold this grand plan, miss, what next?"
"Secure Jingzhou fully under us."
Liu Bei taking Jingzhou? Huge hurdle already.
"Assume we get Jingzhou—what then?"
I grinned at his question.
"Got one idea, but can't spill."
Stick to history—spark Red Cliffs. Underdogs like us need that leg up. Make the world flow that way.
"How do you plan to take Jingzhou, miss?"
Here's my pitch:
"Best to yield Xinyang to Cao Cao and feign withdrawal."
"That doesn't make sense, miss."
"It does. Lord Liu Bei's forces are too weak—needs a gamble to survive."
Zhao Yun looked puzzled.
"What gamble?"
"Ditch Xinyang, seize Jingzhou."
"Impossible. Say we take it—Cao Cao's massive army, we're outnumbered."
"Wu exists. Hold firm at Baling, delay their river crossing—Sun Quan now, with Zhou Yu as Grand Commander, is peak royal power. Means they can make war."
"Where'd you get that intel?"
"Eavesdropping on Jingzhou streets."
He sighed at the absurdity.
But it's fact.
Wu historically split: pro-northern clans vs. pro-royal. Power fragmented, rarely united.
Clans strong? No war. Nobles hate dipping into personal funds.
"Even with Wu, combined forces smaller than Cao Cao's."
"True. But Cao Cao values efficiency, right? If he can smash Shu and Wu separately, won't he?"
What if Cao Cao ignores Sun Quan and storms Yangyang?
Worst case: same old taste.
Liu Bei flees.
Spooked Liu Bei shifts to Liu Qi's Nanyang—natural brush with Sun Quan.
Sun Quan won't want more border with top threat Cao Cao. Boom—alliance forms.
Cao Cao won't miss that.
"Just a hypothesis. My best play?"
I carefully raised my scholar's fan and said,
"Return Xinyang to Cao Cao, pretend to withdraw forces—then seize Yangyang. That's the winning move."
Tried sounding cool like Uncle Kongming.
Uncle Zhao Yun couldn't hide his troubled look.
"Whether Lord Liu Bei accepts... he absolutely won't."
No rebuttal to that fact.
"Just my thoughts. Joke, right? Total joke."
*
Yangyang. A certain mansion.
Cai Mao received his spies' reports and was convinced.
'Must inform the Chancellor.'
Kongming had betrayed. Liu Bei's guards infested the mansion, and the three tails on his daughter gone silent.
Thus, Cai Mao sent a direct letter to Cao Cao.
Liu Qi and Liu Bei have joined hands, raising troops to scheme rebellion. Do not overlook this, Chancellor—investigate thoroughly.
With Cai Mao's letter delivered, history twisted.
Cao Cao rejected Guo Jia's push to continue the northern campaign mid-pacification, ordered withdrawal, and turned toward Ye.
His northern pacification ended incomplete.