It Wasn’t a Martial Arts World, but the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 52. Heading Toward Yang Province

Silence fell.

No one could speak.

Everyone present could only stare at the man barely managing to stay upright by propping himself up with his sword planted in the ground.

He had disappeared.

This was different from merely moving quickly.

In that fleeting moment, he had ceased to exist in this world.

His frail body had vanished, leaving only a faint afterimage in his place.

Because of this, Zhao Yun’s spear had naturally cut through nothing but empty air.

Then, a voice broke the silence.

“Oh, damn it…”

It was Unryong, staggering like a drunk.

He clutched his sword’s hilt, struggling to keep himself upright.

Even then, the strength drained from his hand, and he collapsed.

“This damn body…”

“M-Master…?”

With those words, Unryong slumped to the ground.

“Master!”

Startled, Zhao Yun ran over to Unryong, abandoning her spear, which she cherished more than her own life.

***

“What on earth did you do to yourself this time?!”

Seven days had passed since that day.

Lying in bed, I could only stare blankly at Haryeong, who was glaring down at me.

I had regained consciousness surprisingly quickly after sparring with Zhao Yun, but I couldn’t move a single step.

Since I was naturally deficient in internal energy, it was inevitable that forcing open the Middle Dantian through the Gate of Blood would take a toll on me.

Just like using a muscle you’ve never used before, manipulating the Dantian for the first time came with a massive backlash.

But there had been results.

At that moment, I had truly stepped into the realm of first-rate martial artists.

Opening the Gate of Blood was the proof of that.

In other words, my cultivation had advanced!

The thrilling sense of achievement made me clench my fist.

“Gah!”

“Brother!”

Oh, shit!

It hurts!

It hurts so damn much!

Startled by my scream, Haryeong hurriedly soaked a towel in a basin and gently placed it on my forehead, stroking my hair.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Honestly, I nearly coughed up blood.

I barely managed to hold it in, knowing that if I did, soft-hearted Haryeong would start bawling her eyes out.

Anyway.

Now I could finally move forward.

The moment to reach my destination had finally come.

“Haryeong, call Sima Yi.”

“Eep!”

The problem was that even the mere mention of Sima Yi’s name made Haryeong break out into fits.

She practically foamed at the mouth, her body teetering as though she might collapse at any moment.

“I’m trash. I’m trash. I’m trash. I’m trash…”

I’d asked Sima Yi to train her, but what kind of training could have traumatized her like this?

I hadn’t felt this unnerved by a kid since I met Cao Cao.

In any case, Haryeong stumbled out of the room, and soon Sima Yi appeared.

“So, it seems you’re doing better now?”

“Would it hurt you to at least pretend to care?”

“Why should I? You’re in such good shape that there’s no need to worry.”

Sima Yi was still as bratty as ever.

Like a mischievous cousin who was just begging to get flicked on the forehead.

“Well, it was quite a sight. I realized the rumors were true. I’d never seen such a technique before.”

She was probably referring to the third form of the Heavenly Extreme Linked Illusion Sword Technique, Phantom Soul.

Phantom Soul was technically classified as a footwork technique, but it couldn’t be performed using external energy alone—it was a unique martial art.

Honestly, I didn’t fully understand how I managed to pull it off either.

Just like during my life-and-death duel with Lü Bu, I had entered a state of selflessness.

What I remembered was a sense of exhaustion, and a feeling of release.

As if my body no longer belonged to me.

It was a martial art that was hard to explain with words.

If I tried to replicate Phantom Soul now, I wasn’t sure I could.

I sighed and spoke up.

“Stop saying useless things and sit down.”

“What is it now?”

Though grumbling, Sima Yi sat down close to me.

“It’s been seven days since I’ve been bedridden. Have you been gathering soldiers in the meantime?”

“To some extent. But we’re in You Province, so we haven’t been able to recruit many.”

“How many do we have?”

“About 1,800. If we combine them with our forces, it’ll be 2,000.”

“What are the chances there are traitors among them?”

“For now, Unsam, Baekrang, and Captain Zhao Yun are keeping an eye on them. Haryeong and I are managing the finances, and you’ll be the overall commander of the army.”

“So, if we’re prepared, we could raise an army?”

“Well, with 2,000 men, that’s technically possible. But with this force, the best we could do right now is suppress the Yellow Turbans or, while staying in You Province, go to Liaoxi to subdue the foreign tribes. Of course, we’d need to discuss it with the governor first, but defeating the Yellow Turbans or foreign tribes is a great way to build power.”

I leaned back quietly, lost in thought.

Subduing foreign tribes or the Yellow Turbans—while these were noble causes, they wouldn’t solve the core issue.

So what I had to do now was…

“No, I’m going to topple Dong Zhuo.”

“You’re joking, right?”

Sima Yi looked at me with an exasperated sigh.

But when she saw the seriousness on my face, her expression hardened, and she frowned.

“Are you serious?”

“I am.”

“Dong Zhuo’s forces haven’t lost their momentum yet. Sure, the coalition severely weakened them, but he still has Lü Bu and He Jin’s Imperial Guards, not to mention other fierce generals.”

“I’ll handle Lü Bu.”

I was no longer the same as before.

I no longer felt I’d be helplessly defeated in a contest of martial prowess against her.

In fact, I was confident of victory.

That’s how much my body had transformed since I entered the first-rate realm.

Of course, even the slightest mistake would lead to qi deviation, and I’d be crippled for life.

But still, it meant there was a chance.

Sima Yi was surprised by my words but stroked her chin thoughtfully.

“…Peerless Warrior of the World against Peerless Warrior of the World.”

The girl muttered before speaking again with a serious expression.

“But that’s still not enough. You’ll be tied up dealing with Lü Bu, and with such a small force, we can’t possibly defeat Dong Zhuo. At least 20,000 men. Without that, there’s no way to even begin.”

In other words, we lacked the manpower.

But we couldn’t just give up.

After all, my very existence had altered the original story of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

The butterfly effect was real.

Lü Bu might not betray Dong Zhuo, or the timing of that betrayal could be uncertain.

Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo’s tyranny continued.

No matter how certain the future may seem, I couldn’t ignore the people dying right in front of me.

So, I had to think.

Manpower.

In the end, it all came down to manpower.

And then, it hit me.

The woman who had challenged Dong Zhuo’s army alone, when no other warlord would step up.

“Cao Cao.”

“Cao Cao? You mean the famous Northern Lieutenant?”

“She’s now the General Who Fights to the Death.”

“Is that so?”

Sima Yi tilted her head.

It seemed this was the first time she’d heard this.

As it turned out, Cao Cao hadn’t officially been appointed as the General Who Fights to the Death.

After all, it was Dong Zhuo who controlled the appointments, and there was no way he’d grant a proper position to a woman who had tried to assassinate him.

“I’ve heard she’s a brave warlord, but didn’t she suffer a defeat already?”

“How did you know that?”

“The coalition was originally stationed in Henei, after all. Though it wasn’t long before it scattered.”

Yes, Cao Cao had been defeated.

She had suffered a crushing loss at the hands of General Xu Rong.

She barely escaped with her life and arrived at the coalition camp in a wretched state.

That image was still vivid in my mind.

But one thing was certain.

Cao Cao hadn’t given up.

According to news I’d heard from Zhang Yang, unlike other warlords who were busy expanding their forces, she was still stationed in Yang Province, preparing for a counterattack.

Moreover, if it was Cao Cao, the talents around her were anything but ordinary. If we joined forces, it would undoubtedly be a huge step forward.

Whether she was a cunning politician or a treacherous villain didn’t matter.

The Cao Cao I knew was the woman who most yearned to bring down Dong Zhuo.

At least in that respect, our interests aligned.

After hearing my explanation, Sima Yi nodded.

“Okay. Forming an alliance with another faction would definitely improve our situation. But it’s still not enough. Dong Zhuo’s army is easily over 50,000 strong, many of whom are seasoned veterans. They’re not just sword-wielding fools.”

Ugh, my head hurts. Is this really not enough?

It was a campaign that had failed even with 18 warlords in the coalition.

This wouldn’t be easy.

However, Sima Yi seemed a little more optimistic than before.

“A full-scale battle would be difficult, but if we lay siege to a city and divide his forces, we could create enough confusion. With fire attacks, night raids, and cavalry led by Zhao Yun, combined with neutralizing Lü Bu’s forces…”

Finally, Sima Yi’s lips curled into a smile.

“It’s not such an impossible plan.”

“Is that so?”

Seeing my hopeful expression, Sima Yi’s smile quickly faded.

“But it’s still a long shot. To be blunt, it smells like defeat. Especially since you, who will be at the forefront, will be the first to die. You’re the most important piece on the board.”

“Couldn’t you put that more kindly?”

“I’m not joking. Honestly, we should be conserving our strength and expanding our forces. Besides, we still have matters to discuss with the magistrate, don’t we? Maybe we should consider forming an alliance with either the Governor of Bohai or the Governor of Beiping.”

“What about the souls of those killed by that pig?”

“Even without Dong Zhuo, people die. Plenty of them are probably dying right now.”

This heartless little brat.

Sima Yi didn’t stop there. She leaned in closer.

“Aren’t you scared? You’re not a ghost, so how are you so fearless?”

“Well, of course, I’m scared.”

I said.

“No matter how much I try to act like I’m okay, I always end up looking pathetic. Honestly, before I came to You Province, I wanted to quit everything.”

“…I know. Back then, I regretted coming here too.”

It wasn’t exactly a surprising revelation.

How could a group function when the person who was supposed to lead them was faltering?

But even so.

“I still want to kill Dong Zhuo.”

“…You said you didn’t care about loyalty or justice. What drives you?”

“Why would I need fancy words to justify killing a bad guy? He deserves to die. That’s all there is to it.”

I flashed a grin, baring my teeth, and Sima Yi shook her head in disbelief.

“…Really, I’m starting to understand how you operate.”

Sima Yi let out a deep sigh and stood up.

“Honestly, I still regret following you here.”

“Hey, you’re family now. If I die, you die with me.”

“Is that really something you should be saying to a kid?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you until the end. That’s a promise.”

“…Sure, fine. You’re as stubborn as ever.”

Wait, did she just…?

“But you always keep your promises, right?”

Sima Yi said, brushing off her skirt.

“Fine, let’s do it. The easy way is always boring anyway. Besides, this feels like the perfect stage for me to showcase my talents. If we win here, the name Sima Yi will be known throughout the land.”

“Do people usually say that about themselves?”

“I’ve always loved myself more than anyone else. That won’t change.”

“Jeez, declaring you’ll stay single forever at your age?”

“That’s none of your business. Don’t worry about it.”

With that, Sima Yi turned her back.

“I’ll send a letter to Cao Cao, then?”

“Yeah.”

“And when do we set out?”

“As soon as we’re ready.”

Hearing my answer, Sima Yi gave a slight nod and disappeared.

I laid back down on the bed.

Finally, the time had come to move again.