Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

”Strategist, if you stay here, you’ll definitely die. I must take you away. No matter what, both you and Chancellor Dong picked us from among the common folk and bandits. We’ve repaid Chancellor Dong with our blood over these ten years, and we owe him nothing. But I owe you. When I surrendered to Lord Xuande, I asked him to allow me to recall my old comrades. Luckily, he agreed to my request. If you come with me, I’ll treat you as the head of my family. Chen Zichuan’s orders don’t have much constraint over me,” Hua Xiong said solemnly, half-kneeling on the ground.

”Leave,” Li Ru waved dismissively. ”My heart is dead. I don’t want to meddle in the affairs of the warlords anymore. Assist Liu Xuande well; he has the potential to become a new king. Warn him to be wary of Cao Mengde. This man will achieve great things in the future. It’s a pity Zhongying couldn’t subdue him. A real pity!”

”Strategist!” Hua Xiong called out urgently.

”Leave!” Li Ru raised his head, eyes filled with killing intent. ”In the end, this world will still belong to the aristocratic families. Where is the path for the common people? Where is it? Tell Liu Xuande that the aristocratic families cannot be wiped out by the efforts of one generation. Unless a great sage arises to enlighten the people and gradually dismantle the aristocracy, they will never be eradicated!”

Hua Xiong was directly intimidated by the overwhelming mental force emanating from Li Ru. At such a close distance, this level of mental power was enough to obliterate Hua Xiong’s thoughts, rendering him a fool. After experiencing Dong Zhuo’s tyranny and the shattering of his ideals, Li Ru’s mental force had undergone a second transformation.

”Strategist!” Hua Xiong cried out hoarsely. This level of mental force was life-threatening, but he still had to give it a try.

”Ah!” Hua Xiong’s brain felt like it was exploding, though it was just a momentary pain. However, that brief instant of agony drenched the inner energy expert in sweat.

”At my level, even Lu Bu couldn’t force me to leave if I didn’t want to. Go on, Liu Xuande is a good man. I hope you haven’t misjudged him.” Li Ru waved Hua Xiong away. He had lost the will to live. Otherwise, no one could have stopped him from leaving. Wang Yun and Lu Bu were not even obstacles.

Hua Xiong smiled bitterly, bowed to Li Ru, and left without looking back. Since Li Ru had reached this level and had a death wish, there was no point in trying to convince him.If Li Ru wanted to die, it was a matter of course. Hua Xiong didn’t want to die yet. If Li Ru unleashed his full mental force, even if Li Ru died, Hua Xiong would either die or go insane.

”Sigh, I wonder what kind of person Liu Xuande truly is. The talent recruitment order... I wish I could visit Taishan,” Li Ru murmured to himself. He then coughed violently, quickly covering his mouth with a white cloth. When he removed it, the cloth was stained with dark blood. ”My time is short...”

Hua Xiong rushed out of Li Ru’s house, bounding across the night sky towards Jia Xu’s residence.

”Boom!” He kicked open the door, only to find the house empty. His frustration grew.

”This must be the tunnel!” Hua Xiong soon found the hidden passage in the courtyard and jumped in. Failing to bring back Li Ru was understandable, but Jia Xu had no reason to escape.

”Damn, why are there pursuers at this time?” Jia Xu, advancing along the tunnel, was taken aback upon hearing the chaotic footsteps behind him. He gritted his teeth and turned around. He preferred to negotiate rather than continue running. Negotiation was a viable strategy.

”Hua Zijian?” Seeing Hua Xiong charging towards him, Jia Xu was momentarily stunned. Then, his mind quickly processed the situation.

”Hua Xiong, don’t knock me out. I have a way to bring Li Wenyou back!” Seeing Hua Xiong rush at him, Jia Xu quickly spoke.

As expected, Hua Xiong halted his attack, his hand stopping inches from Jia Xu’s neck.

”Whew, you must know that Li Wenyou already harbors a death wish. With his abilities, if he’s resigned to die, not even Lu Bu could stop him,” Jia Xu said without preamble, directly addressing the issue. There was no need for embellishment with Hua Xiong.

”What’s your plan?” Hua Xiong asked impatiently.

”First, promise me you won’t knock me out after it’s done. You probably think I’m disloyal to Chancellor Dong. In truth, Wenyou and I share the same mindset. Since Chancellor Dong is beyond saving, it’s better not to incur the wrath of heaven and earth. The sooner Yongzhou stabilizes, the better. As for the lives of the Western Liang generals, if I can’t escape, I’ll personally speak to them. If I manage to flee, my old servant holds the key to their safety,” Jia Xu explained swiftly before Hua Xiong could react.

”...,” Hua Xiong was speechless. Couldn’t Li Ru see this? He could. Since Li Ru could see it, why didn’t he act on it? This realization only added to Hua Xiong’s frustration. He wanted to vent his anger on Jia Xu, but Jia Xu’s clear and logical explanation defused his anger, leaving him with no outlet.

”In that case, please escort me back to the Jia residence. I’ll bid farewell to Wenyou, but don’t let him see you until I give the signal,” Jia Xu said, tidying his clothes and straightening his cap, exuding a calm scholarly demeanor.

”Fine, I trust you. But if you try to escape, believe me, you can’t outrun me,” Hua Xiong said, making a quick decision. To him, Li Ru was far more important than Jia Xu. Even though Jia Xu provided a logical explanation, his previous impressions of Jia Xu hadn’t entirely dissipated.

At the first watch of the night, Jia Xu arrived at Li Ru’s residence.

”Surprised you still had the interest to visit me,” Li Ru, dressed in mourning clothes, sat before a table with a sword on it.

”We’ve known each other for years. I’m here to see you off. After this, I’ll leave. We’ve both made arrangements for the Western Liang army. Either of us could secure Li Jue and Guo Si a lifetime of wealth. But without someone to restrain them, they might eventually forget their old loyalties and fall victim to others’ schemes,” Jia Xu poured a cup of wine for Li Ru, bowed, and casually discussed the future.

”I’m dying soon. If they follow my arrangements, they’ll have wealth. If not, what can I do? Since you’re so leisurely, why not join me in dying for Chancellor Dong?” Li Ru drank his wine in one gulp and laughed heartily.

”I want to see those people’s faith shattered. I’ll also collect your corpses. Did you prepare coffins?” Jia Xu’s words stung Li Ru, causing him to jump back. He pointed at Li Ru and rebuked him. After a pause, Jia Xu continued, ”Wenyou, I’m leaving. Don’t worry, I’ll arrange a coffin made of golden nanmu for you.” He bowed and slowly retreated, sighing as he left the main hall.