Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Zhao Yun was carrying two large wild geese he had caught in the south. To marry in winter posed a problem—the ceremony required a pair of live wild geese, which were difficult to obtain. Expecting Chen Xi to shoot two live geese from the sky was unrealistic, so Zhao Yun was tasked with this.

Fortunately, Zhao Yun didn’t have many tasks, so he rode his Night Illumination Jade Lion south and brought back the two live geese. As for the bandits on the Yangtze River who thought they could cause trouble, upon seeing someone riding a horse on the water, they wisely chose not to intervene—unless they were completely foolish.

Speaking of which, ever since Sun Ce had traversed the Yangtze River, the number of bandits there had significantly decreased. Even the Lu family, who usually paid protection money, didn’t know whom to give it to anymore.

However, as Zhao Yun returned, walking his horse on the river, a grand ship blocked his path.

”Who dares to obstruct my way?” Zhao Yun demanded, spear in hand, as he stared down three figures: two handsome men and a burly warrior.

”We are Sun Bofu, Zhou Gongjin, and Zhou Youping of Jiangdong, under General Yuan Gong’s command,” the trio announced, bowing slightly.

”What business do you have with me?” Zhao Yun asked, sizing up the three. He could sense that two of them had reached the level of internal energy manifestation. The young man named Sun Bofu seemed to have just reached that level, while the other, Zhou Youping, seemed about as strong as Gan Ning.

What concerned Zhao Yun the most was the man standing on Sun Ce’s left, Zhou Gongjin, whose sporadic flashes of spiritual energy made Zhao Yun feel uneasy.

”We are on our way back to Shouchun via the river. Upon seeing you galloping effortlessly across the water, our hands itched for a challenge. Would you do us the honor of a spar?” Sun Ce asked, his face filled with pride.

Sun Ce, currently exuding an aura of dominance, had broken through to internal energy manifestation after his previous encounter on the Yangtze River, where he was ambushed by Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin. During the ensuing battle, Sun Ce achieved a breakthrough and subsequently won over Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin. With their help, he united the bandits of the middle and lower Yangtze River, forming a navy.Not long after, Sun Ce, with Zhou Yu’s aid, defeated Wang Wei and Wen Pin at Jiangxia, killing Wang Wei in battle and capturing Wen Pin. It didn’t take long for Wen Pin to be won over by Sun Ce’s charisma. Although Wen Pin had previously been separated from his comrade Wei Yan, he felt that Sun Ce, who treated captives with respect and showed great potential, was someone worth serving.

After Yuan Shu’s defeat and relocation to Shouchun, Sun Ce was summoned back to take up a position. Along the way, Sun Ce encountered Liao Li in Jiangxia, and the two immediately hit it off. Sun Ce brought Liao Li to meet Zhou Yu, who was astounded by Liao Li’s far-sighted vision, declaring him a strategist of great potential. Persuaded by Zhou Yu, Sun Ce appointed Liao Li as Jiangxia’s chief administrator to handle matters in his absence.

Continuing their journey, they crossed paths with Gu Yong, who had resigned from his post. Sun Ce and Gu Yong found common ground, and Gu Yong decided to abandon his original plans to visit his sister, Cai Yan, in Taishan, and instead pledged his loyalty to Sun Ce.

Further down the river, they encountered Yu Fan, who had quarreled with his father over the I Ching. After a deep conversation with Zhou Yu, Yu Fan was so impressed by Zhou Yu’s profound knowledge that he immediately decided to join them.

Not long after, they encountered Dong Xi and Ling Cao, who had come seeking fame. After a delightful conversation, the two warriors swore allegiance to Sun Ce, calling him their lord.

Sun Ce seemed to be on a roll, constantly encountering capable individuals, almost all of whom joined him under Zhou Yu’s influence.

However, not everyone was swayed. There was one person they met who remained unconvinced by Sun Ce’s charisma and Zhou Yu’s wisdom. This individual was still on the ship.

“Ah, so we’ve encountered another internal energy master on the river? You two must be extremely lucky, running into three such experts on the Yangtze, and two of them have joined you already. Amazing,” said a voice. Pang Tong, who had overheard the conversation, stepped out and saw Zhao Yun, marveling at the coincidence.

Pang Tong had initially planned to head to Taishan but had a change of heart after a fateful encounter with Zixu, who warned him that a visit to Taishan might lead to entanglements in Xu Province, possibly even costing him his life. Considering Zixu’s mysterious nature, Pang Tong decided to head to Jiangdong instead.

That was when he ran into Sun Ce’s grand ship on the river. Sun Ce, seeing such an odd-looking man, decided that it must be fate and invited Pang Tong aboard. Pang Tong, whose personality leaned toward the eccentric, was intrigued by Sun Ce’s straightforward approach and promptly abandoned his small boat to join Sun Ce’s journey.

Sun Ce, ever the curious character, treated Pang Tong as a guest. Over meals, ancient people often enjoyed boasting and comparing accomplishments, leading to discussions on world affairs. What followed was a heated debate between Zhou Yu and Pang Tong, neither of whom could gauge the other’s depth.

Zhou Yu, knowing how formidable he was, was particularly impressed by Pang Tong. Even Liao Li, with his extraordinary foresight, had his limits, which Zhou Yu had quickly assessed after a few days. But Pang Tong was different, making Zhou Yu feel as though he was dealing with an enigma. This thrilled Sun Ce, who concluded that his father’s spirit must be guiding him toward great talents.

Thus, Sun Ce grew increasingly eager to win over Pang Tong, paying little heed to his odd appearance. For Sun Ce, ability mattered more than looks. Standing alongside Zhou Yu, both handsome men could use someone unattractive to highlight their own charms. Sun Ce, therefore, treated Pang Tong with great respect, despite not having received a definite answer from him. Still, Pang Tong seemed content to stay aboard and accompany them to Shouchun, which reassured Sun Ce.