Chapter 123 – Extinguishing Fire in Wancheng City
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
Old Wu held his breath and swung his sword downward, killing a black-uniformed man in the process.
“Damn, he is truly strong!” Gu Jun gulped down his saliva. He finally knows why Cheng Quan was defeated. This old and disabled man killed his subordinates at least five people and he is severely wounded to begin with.
Gu Jun cannot imagine how powerful is this person was when in his prime. Fortunately, he is already old now. If Old Wu was still young, maybe Gu Jun and Cheng Quan fighting together will still not be a match for him! No, they will be beheaded instantly.
However, being strong now, what good is it to him, he is already exhausted “I seriously underestimated you. But I will stop you here and now. You are alone and we are of many people!” Gu Jun has decided to fight this old man by overpowering him with sheer numbers. This old man has made Gu Jun truly restless.
“Who said that he is alone?! Han has arrived!” A familiar sound voiced his opinion.
“Why did you return here?!” Gu Jun looked to the owner of the voice.
Old Wu also looked at that direction. When he saw that man, he shouted “Why the hell did you return? Go, RUN FROM HERE!”
“Run? Where can he run? Wancheng city is now ours again!” From behind Han’s back there comes a team of people. Although they are wearing armor, but they are not Lu Bu’s army troops. From their attire, they look like servants or it can be said, they are noble’s private soldiers.
“Sorry, Old Wu, I could not escape!” Han smiled bitterly. He also wanted to run away, but where can he run? The entire Wancheng city was in chaos. A moment ago, he encountered another team another private soldiers. Han quickly decided that it is better to die with Old Wu and go to hell together rather than being killed by these troops.
“Oh, Wancheng city has fallen!” Old Wu’s words is full of despair. He is very thirsty but he have no water to drink. He quickly sucked his own blood to quench his thirst from his own wounded arm.
“Surrender, if you surrender, you can still survive!” That other troops team leaders had noticed Old Wu’s skill. A disabled person can take on a group of people and even kill 3 – 4 elite soldiers, this is truly amazing.
Even if he is disabled, but he can be assigned to teach fresh recruits. This is a very rare and talented person.
“So, Wancheng city was lost! Milord is defeated!” Old Wu talked to himself slowly. His mind flew away as he remembered Chang’an, he remembered Xu Province, and he remembered Kaiyang. He is remembering his whole life during Lu Bu’s quest for hegemony. Old Wu’s face had a trace of hopelessness but suddenly it disappeared .
“So what, if we are defeated?! As long as Milord still stands strong, our Lu Bu’s army has not been extinguished!” Lu Bu has suffered many difficulties and defeats, but still they were unable to kill him. When he lost a territory then he snatched another territory in return.
“Hey, little boy Han. Do you fear death?!” Old Wu asked Han this question unexpectedly.
“I am not afraid!!!!” Even though he said he wasn’t afraid he had told a big lie. But Han was not willing to admit defeat, because if he had to die now, he might as well die with honor.
“Since you did not fear, this old man asks for forgiveness to you and also asks you to die honorably with me and go to hell together!” The corner of Old Wu’s mouth wanted raise and smile, but each time he tried smiling it further opened his wound making it really painful. Therefore his face is just like a person who is about to cry.
“Little boy Han, after we reincarnate I hope we are a true father and son, this old man will train you until you are very strong like Milord. Honestly, the current you is too weak!” At this time, Old Wu had the mood to joke.
“Stubborn people. We will bury you along with Lu Bu!” The leader of the other noble troops no longer had any patience. “Brothers from the Zhou clan, let’s kill these two remnants of Lu Bu’s army together!”
“Yes, this is the best solution!” Gu Jun and his black-uniformed soldiers and the other noble troops started a pincer attack toward Old Wu and Han.
Wancheng city, in the past was a very tranquil and calm city. But in times of war, this Wancheng city had fallen into chaos for who knows how many times. The entire Wancheng city was already filled with the sounds of slaughter everywhere.
This Wancheng city, having experienced the Lu clan, Liu Xun, and Sun Ce’s battles, was already destroyed by the flames of war!
“Reporting to little lord, the Yu clan has occupied the South Gate!” A young clansmen reported toward Zhou Cheng.
“Reporting to little lord, the He clan has seized the North Gate!”
"The West gate is also under our control!"
Wancheng city has four gates, three of them had already been seized by the enemies. The only remaining one is the east gate. The east gate is the biggest gates and is occupied by the Liu clan. Even the city gate that big, they should have reported at the same time. The Liu clan is Wancheng city’s oldest nobles. Their strength is more formidable than this Yu clan, He clan and Wu clan combined but no news has arrived from the Liu clan yet!
“Fine then, we do not wait for them! Let’s go into action!” Zhou Cheng walked into the hall. Inside the hall, there is one team of black-uniformed men and was led by two generals. Staying silent the entire time, they were very strict and disciplined. Looking from their standing posture; these men are truly elite troops.
Zhou Cheng is looking up and down at these people. These black-uniformed men is not Zhou clan’s private soldiers who Zhou Cheng sent to raid the city wall. These people were dispatched by Sun Ce personally to Wancheng city.
They are truly worthy as Jiangdong’s Little Conqueror’s private soldiers. These soldiers made Zhou Cheng green with envy, because their strength is truly refined. If these people were put into Zhou Cheng’s soldiers, they can become team leaders, but now they are just a lowly soldiers.
“Transfer of command already completed!” Zhou Cheng received command of the black-uniformed men from Sun Ce.
Those two commander after hearing Zhou Cheng’s words quickly nodded their head, without saying a word. “So, Young master Zhou, let us begin to march!” Those men just quickly said and left Zhou Cheng immediately.
Zhou Cheng looked at these elite troops back unconsciously wrinkling his brow.
Out of the four gates, Zhou Cheng has taken three of them, properly speaking, Wancheng city was already under his control. However, he does not know from where, but Zhou Cheng is truly restless, he did not know where this restlessness came from.
Beside the Liu clan, all of the clans who participated in the crusade already completed their tasks. Wancheng city is no longer under Lu Bu’s possession, already returning to Jiangdong.
All of this too easy. Too easy? Yes, this is too easy. Everything went according to Zhou Cheng’s plan.
And if Wancheng city was compared with Shiting County and Jiashi County, when Shiting County was attacked by Zhou Yi’s private soldiers they collapsed at the first encounter, but how can the big Wancheng City fall like this as well?
Is it because Lu Bu has assigned all of his elite troops elsewhere? Now the current explanation for his restlessness is only this.
“Fine then!” Zhou Cheng shook his head. Wancheng city is already in his control like he wants it. He can be said able to complete the task flawlessly.
Actually, Zhou Cheng having a bad feeling is correct, something is very wrong with this event. The Whole of Wancheng city gate guardians only had one shift. The night shift guardian who was supposed to take over did not appear at all.
At Wancheng city east gate, there is a golden-armored general holding a telescope. That guy is Liu Mang and on his hand is a telescope that he recently produced.
The Liu clan was assigned by Zhou Cheng to attack east gate, and now Liu Kai and Liu Neng is sitting inside Liu Mang’s mansion reporting everything to Liu Mang.
“How many clans are involved in this?!” Liu Mang asked those pair father and son.
Liu clan, Wancheng city’s oldest noble families was once Lujiang’s oldest nobles. When Lu Kang and Liu Xun was the one who controlled Wancheng city, the Liu clan was still the boss. Lu Kang did not have the thought for hegemony because he did not want to offend Han Dynasty relatives.
Liu Xun is the same clan as the Liu clan, naturally they will do good things with the Liu clan of Lujiang. But after Sun Ce expelled Liu Xun, everything changed. First the Lu clan is suppressed until almost being annihilated and then came the Zhou clan of Shucheng County.
When the Zhou clan rose, the Liu clan did not feel too much bitterness because the Zhou clan is also a boss in Shucheng County. But that Chen clan also appeared!!!! That Chen Duan and his clan, rode along with the Sun clan barging into Lujiang.
Liu Kai saw both of the Chen clan’s heads as arrogant pricks, forcing clansmen to be officials under Sun Ce.
Sun Ce a person who wanted to fight for hegemony, naturally was estranged by the Liu clan, the Han Dynasty royal relatives.
Now those two people suddenly found a big fortune in Liu Mang. They quickly dug out the Han Dynasty family tree and saw that there is a Liu Mang there along with Liu Kai and Liu Neng. They quickly acknowledged each other as relatives and Liu Kai also shamelessly call Liu Mang, Liu Kai’s uncle.
Liu Kai’s age if compared with Liu Mang, he could be his father. If such an old man called him uncle, then Liu Mang cannot stand it but Liu Kai was already out of face.
Therefore, Liu Mang was recognized by Liu Kai and Liu Neng as a noble too! For thousands of years, China has been like this. Nobles who occupy less than 10% of population, control 90% of wealth, power and influence.
Liu Mang originally did not understand these. But because of his house steward and retainer Yang Hong taught him daily, he finally understood about these matters.
So, Liu Mang and Liu Kai and also Liu Neng quickly got along with each other.
Regarding Wancheng city changes, Liu Mang learned from these Liu clan’s father and son that Lu Bu’s army going out is like luring a snake out of his hole, in order for these hostile nobles to take over of the city once again.
“Besides the Lu clan, Han clan and Xu clan, every clan is joining this rebellion!” Liu Neng quickly reported to his “uncle”.
“All of them?!” Liu Mang’s eyes was flashing with coldness. He is not a person who had just arrived in this Three Kingdoms period but he is a person who had already battled too much and was already emitting bloodthirst.
What Liu Neng said all the clans joining the rebellion is correct. The Lu clan and Sun Ce had a grudge, naturally the Zhou clan will not inform them of the information regarding Han and Xu. These small clans were truly petty.
Liu Mang then said “Brother Ziji, you see the flames in this Wancheng city? We must extinguish them quickly, otherwise it will burn out the entire city. If we used water it is too slow, so instead we use blood. The flames will go out more quickly and it is much more convenient!”
Liu Kai shivered from that statement, this boy whose age is similar to his son can actually emit a coldness that pierces his bones.
TL: Ziji is Liu Neng’s courtesy name.