Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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The one whose laughter echoed across training yards, and whose arrows never missed their mark. The one who, for some inexplicable reason, made his pulse quicken when their paths crossed at that time. Noticing the weridness on Ma Chao, Ma Dai nudged him. ”Cousin? You’re spacing out.”

Ma Chao shook himself. ”Right. I should... greet our guests.”

The elders brightened. ”Yes! Perhaps you can smooth things over—”

But Ma Chao was already walking away, leaving them sputtering and angry in his wake.

Ma Dai meanwhile chuckled as he see how fast Ma Chao walk. ”Well. This should be interesting.”

Inside the main hall, the conversation had turned into lighter topics, like favorite foods, childhood mischief, and Ma Yunlu’s upcoming wedding to Zhao Yun.

”I still can’t believe that you’re getting married to Brother Zhao Yun, even after the big proposal that involve my Imperial Brother,” Wannian teased.

Ma Yunlu blushed. ”Well, I also didn’t exovet such thing when I come here to Xiapi, to meet the right person...”

Sun Shangxiang have just opened her mouth to reply when suddenly sound of footsteps come from the entrance of the main hall.

All three women including Cheng Pu turned to see who it was.

And there he stood.

Ma Chao, framed by the afternoon sun entering through the entrance, his sharp features softened slightly by the faintest hint of uncertainty. His eyes locked onto Sun Shangxiang’s for a brief, electric moment before he bowed and .cupped his hand.

”Princess Wannian. Lady Sun. Forgive the intrusion.”

Wannian smirked. ”No forgiveness needed, General Ma. We were just discussing martial arts. Shangxiang here was boasting about her spear skills.”

Sun Shangxiang hearing that nearly choked on her tea. ”I was not—”

Ma Chao’s lips quirked. ”Is that so?”

Sun Shangxiang glared at Wannian, who merely sipped her tea innocently.

Ma Yunlu, sensing the tension, clapped her hands. ”That’s right Brother! Lady Sun was just saying she’d love a demonstration of your spear forms!”

Now it was Ma Chao’s turn to glare at his sister.

Sun Shangxiang, in the end, feel that she follow along as this is a great moment to get close to Ma Chao and so decide to rose to the challenge. ”Only if the general isn’t afraid of being shown up by a woman.”

Ma Chao’s eyes flashed. ”I fear no opponent, Lady Sun.”

The air between them crackled.

Wannian and Yunlu exchanged gleeful looks. A look that Ma Yunlu thought as the success of doing something mischievous, while Wannian look was one that thought of the succces of her plan.

’This,’ Wannian thought, ’is going to be very entertaining.’

Due to the instigation of Ma Yunlu, Sun Shangxiang, quick witted and never one to back away from a challenge, saw this moment as a prime opportunity. Not just to test her skills, but to truly get a better sense of the man who had captured her interest in a way no other warrior had.

And Ma Chao, for his part, couldn’t explain the way his pulse stirred whenever their eyes met. Something about Sun Shangxiang unraveled the rigid discipline he’d woven around himself over years of battle.

So when Yunlu clapped her hands in gleeful delight and proposed they move to the courtyard, there was little resistance. Wannian grinned, pleased at the sparks flying, intentional or not.

Cheng Pu, meanwhile, kept his expression neutral but his thoughts sharp. As the old general followed the young ones out of the hall, his eyes flicked toward Sun Shangxiang, quietly noting the subtle, almost imperceptible softness in her demeanor. A calmness he had rarely seen. That alone put him on alert.

The five of them made their way to the Ma Clan’s training courtyard. The setting sun painted the sky in shades of orange and gold, casting long shadows across the well kept grounds. The weapon racks stood proudly against one wall, displaying an array of training spears, swords, and staffs polished to a gleam.

Ma Chao gestured toward the weapon rack, stepping aside in an act of quiet courtesy. ”Lady Sun, please, choose whichever you like.”

Sun Shangxiang gave him a sly smile. ”How generous, General. I’ll try not to pick the one that gives me too much of an advantage.”

He arched an eyebrow, but said nothing as she walked to the rack. With the practiced eye of a seasoned martial artist, she examined the spears, testing the weight of one, then another, before settling on a sleek, slightly shorter spear with a tapered blade and good balance. She turned back with a nod.

Ma Chao stepped forward next and selected a spear of similar build, though slightly heavier. He gave it a few quick spins with his wrist, as though reacquainting himself with an old friend.

”Now this,” Ma Yunlu said from the sidelines, her hands clasped eagerly, ”this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. Brother, don’t go easy on her.”

”Go easy?” Sun Shangxiang scoffed as she tested the grip of her spear. ”I’d be insulted if he did.”

”I warned you,” Wannian said to Ma Yunlu with a chuckle, ”She doesn’t hold back. And from the stories you told me, neither does your brother. This is going to be fun.”

”You say that like it’s a game,” Cheng Pu muttered to himself, standing nearby with his arms folded. His eyes never left Sun Shangxiang. ”She’s never agreed to spar with any man outside the Emperor himself and even then, it never happened. So why now?”

No one answered him, though his words hung heavy in the evening air.

In the center of the courtyard, Ma Chao and Sun Shangxiang faced each other. A respectful distance between them. Spear tips resting lightly to the ground. Their stances were poised and balanced, eyes locked, reading each other.

Ma Chao gave a short nod. ”On three. One... two... three.”

Their spears shot up in unison. The first exchange was a blur.

Ma Chao struck first, his spear lancing forward like a viper’s tongue. Sun Shangxiang twisted aside, her own weapon whirling in a tight arc to deflect the thrust. The wooden shafts cracked against each other, the sound sharp in the quiet courtyard.

Ma Yunlu gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. ”She blocked him!”

Wannian grinned. ”Told you.”

Ma Chao’s brows rose slightly, impressed despite himself. He adjusted his stance, shifting his weight, and attacked again. This time, his movements were faster, more fluid, testing her defenses.

Sun Shangxiang didn’t falter. She met him strike for strike, her footwork precise, her counters swift. Where Ma Chao’s style was disciplined and direct, honed by years of battlefield experience, hers was unpredictable, blending orthodox spear techniques with wild, improvisational flourishes.

At one point, she even spun completely around, using the momentum to deliver a sweeping strike that forced Ma Chao to leap back.

Cheng Pu, watching from the sidelines, stroked his beard thoughtfully. Sun Shangxiang was holding back. Not in skill, she was giving this fight everything she had, but in temperament. Normally, she’d be taunting her opponent by now, laughing as she pressed the attack.

But here?

She was focused. Almost... respectful.

He smells something even fishier.

Ten exchanges in, Ma Chao decided to stop testing and truly started the spar.

His next series of strikes came faster, harder, each one aimed with pinpoint accuracy. Sun Shangxiang blocked most, but a few slipped through, grazing her sleeves or forcing her to sidestep at the last second.

Yet instead of frustration, her grin only widened.

”You’re good,” she admitted, breathing slightly harder.

Ma Chao’s lips quirked. ”So are you.”

Then he did something unexpected.

He switched styles.

Where before his movements had been crisp and efficient, now they became almost artistic, flowing like water, his spear twirling in elaborate patterns before lashing out in sudden, unpredictable angles.

Sun Shangxiang’s eyes widened. She found the skill very graceful but dangerous at the same time.

”A very beautiful techniques, you have to teach me,” she murmured.

Ma Chao didn’t agree or reject. He simply attacked.

For the first time, Sun Shangxiang was forced onto the defensive, barely managing to parry a flurry of strikes that came at her from all directions. One particularly vicious thrust slipped past her guard, stopping just shy of her throat.

The courtyard fell silent.

Ma Chao held the pose for a heartbeat, then pulled back. ”Yield?”

Sun Shangxiang’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her cheeks flushed. For a second, it looked like she might argue.

Then she laughed.

”Not a chance.”

And with a sudden twist of her wrist, she hooked the butt of her spear behind his ankle and yanked.

Ma Chao, caught off guard, stumbled, but didn’t fall. He caught himself at the last second, his free hand slapping the ground to steady himself.

Sun Shangxiang didn’t let up. She pressed forward, her spear a blur as she unleashed her own secret weapon—

The Sun Family’s swift strike technique.

A rapid series of jabs, too fast to block, forcing Ma Chao to retreat step by step. One strike slipped through, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

”Point to me,” she declared, grinning.

Ma Chao stared at her. Then, slowly, he smiled, a rare, genuine expression that lit up his usually stern features.

”Again.”

On the sidelines, Ma Yunlu was practically vibrating with excitement.

”They’re amazing*,” she whispered to Wannian. ”I’ve never seen anyone keep up with Brother like that! Other than Cousin Ma Dai and the senior generals under Your Majesty.”

Wannian at this time clap her hand with a smile. ”Told you they’d be a good match.”

Ma Yunlu blinked. ”Wait. Don’t tell you planned this, Wannian?”

Wannian just looked at her with a smile innocently.

Meanwhile, Cheng Pu’s sharp eyes missed nothing. The way Shangxiang’s gaze lingered on Ma Chao when he wasn’t looking. The way Ma Chao’s usual aloofness melted slightly whenever Shangxiang laughed.

He sighed.

’Old Sun and Bofu is going to murder me.’

The spar continued for another half hour, neither willing to concede defeat. By the end, both were breathing heavily, their robes damp with sweat, their spears trembling slightly from exertion.

It was only when a servant hurried into the courtyard, bowing profusely, that they finally stopped.

”Lord Ma Chao! A message from the palace, His Majesty requests your immediate presence!”

Ma Chao straightened, his expression shifting back to its usual seriousness. ”Understood.”

He turned to Sun Shangxiang, hesitated, then bowed slightly. ”Another time, Lady Sun.”

Sun Shangxiang returned the bow, her smirk softening into something almost... warm. ”Looking forward to it, General.”

As Ma Chao strode away to answer Lie Fan’s summon, Ma Yunlu rushed forward, grabbing Sun Shangxiang’s hands with her own. ”That was incredible! You have to teach me some of those moves you have done just now!”

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty

Age: 34 (201 AD)

Level: 16

Next Level: 462,000

Renown: 2325

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)

SP: 1,121,700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 966 (+20)

VIT: 623 (+20)

AGI: 623 (+10)

INT: 667

CHR: 98

WIS: 549

WILL: 432

ATR Points: 0