That was a "trend" long ordained by heaven. If one went against that trend, one would head straight into vast, unforeseeable danger.
Upon receiving that answer, the Crouching Dragon closed his eyes.
"So?"
Fujimaru Kyoya looked at Zhuge Liang as though he had not understood, seemingly waiting for him to continue.
"I already told you, it's pointless."
"Really? Have you ever calculated how many people we saved from the Great Fire of Luoyang?"
"It's useless. Even if they survived the calamity of Luoyang, they wouldn't live much longer in this chaotic age."
"But they still lived a few more days."
Fujimaru Kyoya looked seriously at Zhuge Liang. He understood that this Crouching Dragon was different from what he had imagined.
Indeed, Zhuge Liang's life before the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage had always been a mystery. No matter what Zhuge Liang was like at this moment, Fujimaru Kyoya would not be surprised. But this era of the Three Kingdoms absolutely could not lack a figure called the "Crouching Dragon."
"You're willing to risk your life just for a few more days of life for those people?"
"One person gains only a few days, but ten thousand people gain years. Besides, I'm not dead."
Fujimaru Kyoya swung himself out of bed, demonstrating just how robust he was.
"Then could you ask the Crouching Dragon to devise another plan?"
"I won't be moved by the same rhetoric again."
Zhuge Liang refused. He only wanted to live out his life as a couch potato.
"Then this time, I won't ask as your friend. This time, I ask on behalf of the people of Chang'an living in fear of Dong Zhuo. Please, Crouching Dragon, offer us your counsel."
"You..."
Zhuge Liang looked at Fujimaru Kyoya. For the first time, he realized that his friend was so "shameless."
A gentleman deceives with method; a petty man tempts with profit.
It seemed Mencius's teachings had surpassed Zhuge Liang's after all.
"I'll only help you this once."
Zhuge Liang was not a cold and heartless man. He had withdrawn from the world only because he had once despaired. Now that Fujimaru Kyoya had given him a "way out," he would take it.
After all, it was not that he wanted to enter the world. He was merely being "forced" into it by a petty man.
"Lu Bu cannot hold Hulao Pass. Retreating to Chang'an is only a matter of time. During that time, you need to deliver a letter into Chang'an."
"A letter? To whom?"
Fujimaru Kyoya was rather curious. Zhuge Liang had spent these years at Water Mirror Manor like someone with social anxiety. Could he really have any close friends?
"Minister Wang."
"I know, Wang Lang, right?"
"Who is Wang Lang? I want you to give it to Wang Yun."
Wang Yun?
Who the hell was that?
Fujimaru Kyoya immediately felt a headache coming on from his woefully inadequate historical knowledge.
"To be precise, give it to an immortal residing in Wang Yun's manor. Not an immortal like Zhang Jue who merely pretends to possess divine powers, but an Elemental of nature—a true long-lived being."
Where Is My Diao Chan?
[You brought Zhuge Liang's handwritten letter to Chang'an. Along the way, you heard that Hulao Pass had fallen, and you understood that you had to pick up the pace.]
With Zhuge Liang's letter, Fujimaru Kyoya quickly met Minister Wang—not Wang Lang, but Wang Yun.
"I have read my worthy nephew's letter. The plan within is indeed feasible, but that person... is not easy to invite."
The great clans naturally had dealings with one another. Neither the Zhuge clan nor the Wang clan was small, so it was perfectly normal for them to maintain contact. Moreover, Zhuge Liang's plan to bring down Dong Zhuo was precisely what Wang Yun wished to see. But the person mentioned in the letter... was difficult to handle.
"I heard she is an immortal."
Fujimaru Kyoya was rather curious. What kind of immortal could still exist in this age?
According to Tohsaka Rin, the Age of Gods had vanished from the continent around the turn of the era, with only a few island nations retaining remnants.
Although the final fragment of the Age of Gods in 5th Century AD Britain had only disappeared then, there should have long been no trace of the Age of Gods left on the continent.
How could an immortal live in this world?
"Whether she is truly an immortal is hard to say. But she... Worthy nephew, have you heard the tale of the suicide at Wujiang? The Founding Emperor..."
"No need to go on. I've had more than enough of that."
Fujimaru Kyoya interrupted Minister Wang. Clearly, he knew very well about Xiang Yu's death. But what did that have to do with the immortal now?
"The world says that Xiang Yu and Consort Yu both died at Wujiang. But in truth, Consort Yu did not die and has lived until now. She currently resides in my manor."
Consort Yu? The Wang manor? Lu Bu? Dong Zhuo?
Well, damn. It was Diao Chan.
Fujimaru Kyoya had been wondering what brilliant scheme Zhuge Liang had. So it turned out this old man was sending Diao Chan to sow discord between Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu.
"Worthy nephew, the entire plan rests on Lady Consort Yu. If she cannot be persuaded... then this old man can do nothing."
Minister Wang immediately led Fujimaru Kyoya toward a secluded courtyard, clearly where Consort Yu lived. The implication was that as long as Fujimaru Kyoya could persuade her, he would be willing to help.
All he could do was try his best.
Fujimaru Kyoya did not feel much pressure. Even if Diao Chan did not act, he could simply sneak in and kill Dong Zhuo himself. If he died, then he died. It would conveniently keep him from stealing the real Zhao Yun's spotlight.
Before long, Fujimaru Kyoya heard a melodious tune from a zither. A girl who looked to be around sixteen sat there. Time seemed not to have left a single mark on her, making it impossible to imagine that she came from the same era as Liu Bang, the Founding Emperor.
"Lady Consort Yu, Wang Yun requests an audience."
The music stopped, and Minister Wang stepped forward to explain Zhuge Liang's plan to drive a wedge between them.
"What does Liu Bang's country have to do with me?"
Consort Yu's reaction did not surprise Fujimaru Kyoya. After all, Liu Bang could be said to have directly caused Xiang Yu's death. The fact that Consort Yu had not kicked him while he was down was already remarkably magnanimous. Asking someone like her for help was truly harder than ascending to heaven.
But would Zhuge Liang devise a plan destined to fail?
Since he had sent him here, he might as well handle it in his own way.
Thinking this, Fujimaru Kyoya immediately looked at Consort Yu with pity in his eyes.
"Minister Wang, forget it. I never thought even the Crouching Dragon could misjudge someone."
"You brat, what do you mean?"
Consort Yu watched Fujimaru Kyoya's gaze travel up and down her body before it turned pitying, and an inexplicable fury immediately rose within her.
"Although I don't wish to be too rude, a woman who cannot even defeat steamed buns is really... Asking you to use a honey trap is clearly asking too much."
Fujimaru Kyoya gestured across his chest. Consort Yu's pitifully flat curves, enough to compete with Tohsaka Rin's, were truly somewhat tragic.
At that moment, Fujimaru Kyoya silently slapped the label "heretics" onto Xiang Yu in his heart. His respect for the Hegemon-King of Chu also diminished considerably.
This is the Hegemon-King of Western Chu? How "small-minded" he was.
"You brat, have you never heard of Consort Yu's name?"
Clearly, Fujimaru Kyoya was highly skilled at provoking a woman's anger, and Tohsaka Rin deserved much of the credit for that.
"Seeing you is worse than hearing of you. The next time you meet someone, how about preparing two steamed buns? They may be small, but the difference between having them and not having them is a gulf as wide as heaven and earth."
Each taunt was harsher than the last. Fujimaru Kyoya's existence reminded Consort Yu that she was still that hot-tempered Consort Yu.
A sharp sword left its sheath. Consort Yu clearly intended to make Fujimaru Kyoya suffer a little.
But when had Fujimaru Kyoya ever not been a master of Sword Art?
[You snatched a sharp sword from a guard beside you. Very quickly, you discovered that your opponent's Sword Art was extraordinary. It seemed that someone capable of remaining beside the Hegemon-King of Western Chu was indeed no ordinary person.]
[You had not forgotten your own Sword Art. At the same time, you sensed that she merely wanted to teach you a lesson and had no intention of killing you. A "peaceful" "spar" began.]
It was a dazzling sword dance. Their figures crossed, and the murderous intent gradually faded. They were merely "communicating" through their swords.
Still, Consort Yu's stamina was a little too poor.
"Go back. I agree to your request. Now all of you, get out immediately."
Upon hearing Consort Yu order them out, Minister Wang hurriedly took Fujimaru Kyoya away. He had no idea why this lady was in such a foul mood today.
Did Immortals get their periods too?
Fujimaru Kyoya saw Consort Yu's flushed face but did not care. As long as the plan could continue, that was enough.
[You hid in Wang Yun's manor these past few days, advancing Zhuge Liang's plan. However, Consort Yu did not personally take the field. Instead, she used a Puppet Substitute to feign affection.]
[You watched Wang Yun bring Lu Bu to the manor and have Consort Yu's Puppet dance for him. Everything proceeded according to Zhuge Liang's plan, but you noticed that this Consort Yu's curves had become increasingly pronounced. You concluded that when creating it, Consort Yu had made up for her own shortcomings.]
So she really did have some self-awareness.
Fujimaru Kyoya watched from the side. According to Zhuge Liang, Lu Bu was not a man of great wisdom, but he was a man of great ambition.
Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu were already destined for a conflict. What Zhuge Liang had done was merely use Diao Chan to catalyze the contradiction between them.
There were only two kinds of men in this world: those greedy for power and those lustful for women. But more often than not, they were both.
Consort Yu had originally been a peerless beauty, and the Puppet replacing her was naturally no less so. Even Fujimaru Kyoya could not help taking a few extra glances.
Of course, Consort Yu caught those furtive glances and glared them back.
Tenfold, Even Ninefold
It was over.
Consort Yu's Puppet returned to the room. Its professional smile gradually faded, returning to an inhuman stillness.
"Are all the men in Liu Bang's country this confident?"
"Well, there's nothing to be done about that. You can't compare him to Xiang Yu."
Fujimaru Kyoya emerged from the side. He was actually quite surprised. Though this older sister was a little hot-tempered, she had still agreed to help with her Puppet and had not gone back on her word.
"I have my own reasons. There's no need to tell you."
When Consort Yu had agreed, it had not been entirely because she had gotten worked up. It was because she had thought of Xiang Yu again.
Back at Wujiang, the two of them could actually have escaped. Yet Xiang Yu had willingly chosen to die there.
He hoped this land would return to peace soon, even if the price was his own life. As for the realm after peace returned, he would let Consort Yu see it in his stead.
Consort Yu was Xiang Yu's eyes, but all she had seen over these years was a living hell.
Restoring peace sooner and allowing Lord Xiang Yu to see happy sights once more—that was why Consort Yu had agreed.
Though she would not dance for other men, sending a Substitute Puppet in her place was not such a big deal.
"Will they fall for it?"
"You are only the fuse. If Lu Bu could kill Ding Yuan to climb higher, why could he not kill Dong Zhuo? And if Dong Zhuo understood Lu Bu's nature, would he truly trust him?"
Fujimaru Kyoya understood that this was merely the scheme of Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors. Zhuge Liang's plan was not novel, but it was absolutely effective.
"There is a limit to the distance from which I can control the Puppet. You will probably infiltrate the Imperial Palace as well. I will protect you."
"Protect me?"
Consort Yu sneered. As an Elemental of nature, she would not die so easily.
"Protecting you is incidental. Mainly, I want to meet the current emperor."
Fujimaru Kyoya's words were half true and half false.
Since Consort Yu was willing to help him, he could not possibly allow her to fall into a life-and-death crisis. As for meeting the emperor, that was also true.
Fujimaru Kyoya wanted to use the credit for killing Dong Zhuo in exchange for the emperor recognizing Liu Bei as an imperial uncle.
Although Liu Bei claimed to be a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, Prince Jing of Zhongshan had countless descendants. Who did Liu Bei think he was?
Only with confirmation from the imperial clan could Liu Bei gain a banner in this chaotic age, a foundation upon which to survive.
Before you continue