Chapter 38

"Will he agree?"

"As long as the tripartite division of the world is forged, then he will agree."

Zhuge Liang studied the map. While Zhou Yu was still calculating strategies for the Battle of Chibi, his gaze had already traveled beyond it to Huayong Path.

There, he intended to let Cao Cao go.

"Cao Cao cannot die yet. If Cao Cao falls, the Sun Clan of Jiangdong will immediately seize most of his territory, and his sons will tear each other apart just like Yuan Shao's sons once did. Our northern shield will vanish, Xiliang will be isolated and helpless, and the surrounding tribes may arrive ahead of time."

Though Zhuge Liang understood this was the best chance to kill Cao Cao, he still chose to let him go.

Because when Liu Bei first invited him out of seclusion, he had already clearly told Liu Bei the future he saw and the strategy he intended to adopt.

[You can see the helplessness in Zhuge Liang's eyes. To keep history from spiraling into destruction, he dances as close to the edge as possible.]

[These past days, you accompanied Zhuge Liang in a secret meeting with Pang Tong, who offered his Linked Stratagem—a scheme Cao Cao had no choice but to use. This proved his worth, and then came Zhuge Liang's turn.]

[You watch the battle unfold methodically. When the first flame rises from Chibi, you understand that countless deaths have been brought into this world.]

[Now you grasp Zhuge Liang's dilemma. No matter how he schemes, a single war can bury everyone he saved. Just how much pressure does he carry while calculating all this?]

"I'm fine."

A trace of bloodshot showed in Zhuge Liang's eyes. He understood these were things he had to do.

"I'll do everything in my power to save as many people as possible."

The words were spoken with resolute firmness, yet Zhuge Liang's eyes remained bright. He would not fall into the trap of thinking about killing fewer to save more; he understood that every life deserved respect, and he would save as many as he could.

[You watch Cao Cao's side retreat in defeat, understanding that he has missed his best chance to unify the world, and will never usurp the throne until his death.]

[You also understand that Zhou Yu, now at the peak of his glory, will die of illness, and Liu Bei's side, gradually reaching its zenith, will be battered by successive blows into the Battle of Yiling.]

[You believe Zhuge Liang absolutely told Liu Bei about the Battle of Yiling, but Liu Bei's nature means that even knowing the outcome, he would not flinch—even if the final path is bleak.]

This era seemed to revolve around "fire."

Back in the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao set fire to the grain stores at Wu Nest, instantly collapsing Yuan Shao's overwhelmingly advantageous army.

Now at Chibi, a single blaze left Cao Cao, who should have unified the world, thoroughly humiliated.

And in the future, another fire at Yiling would burn through the linked camps and bury Liu Bei's hard-won domain.

Watching these "fires," Sima Yi smiled. A world where everyone was wounded was about to be born, and while these overlords were too busy to look elsewhere, it would be the Sima Clan's time to take the stage.

"Crouching Dragon Zhuge Liang—nothing special."

Sima Yi understood that in terms of strategy, he was no match for Zhuge Liang. The man's wisdom was already formidable, and paired with that pair of Clairvoyance eyes, he crushed every other strategist into the dirt.

But now the Heavenly Mandate was on his side. Even if Zhuge Liang had heaven-defying abilities, could he truly overturn fate?

The fire still burned. In the blaze, Sima Yi's smile grew brighter—until suddenly, rain began to fall.

Rain started to fall, right when the fire was at its fiercest. This reminded Zhou Yu of the great Luoyang fire back then—had Zhuge Liang altered the weather again?

"Of course not."

Zhuge Liang watched the Cao army slowly retreating with the help of the rain. This rain was not something he had created by modifying the weather with magic; it was a natural rainfall of this world.

"You had to calculate even this?"

Fujimaru Kyoya was curious. With Zhuge Liang's ability, he could have simply changed the weather to bring rain—why go to the trouble of calculating when it would fall naturally?

"I can't alter the celestial phenomena all the time. In Jingzhou, a heavy rain falls once every ten years. I've consulted many ancient texts over the years to confirm this. Jingzhou is the key to future control."

In Zhuge Liang's plan, Shu was the rear base for development, while Jingzhou was the gateway out of Shu. If Jingzhou were taken, the original Longzhong Plan would need massive revision.

"Ten years from now, if this rainwater is used properly, Water Floods Seven Armies will be as easy as turning over a hand."

Hearing Zhuge Liang's words, Fujimaru Kyoya immediately realized who he was talking about. But after Water Floods Seven Armies...

"It's a matter of character. The Second Lord will always be that proud a man. No matter how many warnings you give, it won't help. And our lord is a man of benevolence and righteousness—he will not sit by and watch the Second Lord die. When that time comes... please, at least bring our lord back."

Zhuge Liang looked at Fujimaru Kyoya. The latter had never held any military rank, always drifting through Liu Bei's group as a friend.

In a great battle like Yiling, he would certainly not be given any important role. Zhuge Liang could foresee all this, so he only hoped that Fujimaru Kyoya could bring that benevolent lord back at the final moment.

"I will definitely do it."

[You made a promise. In the Battle of Yiling, no matter how dangerous it becomes, you will bring Liu Bei back.]

Chapter 67: The Helplessness of Clairvoyance

What was bound to happen still happened.

After gaining Zhuge Liang's assistance, Liu Bei's path was smooth sailing. Especially after "borrowing" Jingzhou and having Guan Yu garrison it, the tripartite balance was truly established.

Guan Yu had just achieved Water Floods Seven Armies when he was forced to Flee to Mai City. Such a drastic reversal—let alone Liu Bei, no one in this world could understand it.

"I will raise an army. Attack Jiangdong."

When Liu Bei spoke these words, he had made an immense decision. Even though he had heard this news from Zhuge Liang before, he should have been prepared.

He should have been calm. This was absolutely not the right time to go to war with Jiangdong. But he could never run away. His nature dictated that he would walk this path.

[You are found by Zhuge Liang. You know exactly what he wants to say.]

"It's finally come to this day."

Zhuge Liang watched Liu Bei begin preparing provisions—this was perhaps not the force of historical correction, but a choice a man was destined to make.

Liu Bei could never abandon his brothers. Liu Bei was Liu Bei; no matter how much he tried to learn from Liu Bang, he would never become him.

"I need to hold the rear. This dangerous task can only be entrusted to you."

Zhuge Liang looked at his old friend with deep regret. Though years had passed and they were no longer children, he still kept proposing one perilous mission after another for the man before him to carry out.

"Leave it to me. But against a thousand troops and ten thousand horsemen, there's only so much I can do."

Fujimaru Kyoya never imagined he could turn the tide of battle alone. In a great war like the Battle of Yiling, even extracting a single person was already a feat comparable to scaling the heavens.

"But is this the turning point?"

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at the nation now flourishing before him. The hope of soaring was right there in sight—yet this was where it ended.

The defeat at Yiling dealt its heaviest blow to Liu Bei's faction not in Liu Bei's death, but in the fact that Liu Bei had squandered in one go the entire army Zhuge Liang had prepared for him to rise again in the future.

Even though Zhuge Liang could leverage the Shu Brocade trade, the loss of Jingzhou left Shu without a gateway to the outside world. The Battle of Yiling left Zhuge Liang without troops to command. And as one great general after another passed away, the younger generation of military commanders could not shoulder the burden.

Even with Zhuge Liang's heaven-piercing abilities, all he could say was that he couldn't carry them.

"Zilong."

"Hm?"

Just as Fujimaru Kyoya was about to leave, Zhuge Liang called out to him.

"Thank you. Even alone, you could survive in this chaotic age. You have the power to roam freely between heaven and earth, yet you choose to fight for this world."

"You flatter me."

[You reply flatly. In truth, you are even more grateful to Zhuge Liang. According to his reasoning, since the Heavenly Mandate was already fixed, whether you emerged from seclusion or not made no difference.]

[You simply cannot bear to watch the calamity unfolding before your eyes—let alone the fact that Zhuge Liang rehearses such scenes every time he performs his calculations.]

[Over these years, watching Zhuge Liang govern the state, you understand that a man like him, had he chosen to serve any other lord, would have been a success—not someone destined to march toward a future he could never accept.]

At this moment, Fujimaru Kyoya understood the helplessness of EX Clairvoyance.

To see the future yet lack the power to change it—this was surely how Gilgamesh had once felt, abandoning himself to despair until he fell from Wise King to tyrant.

Even in the end, he never changed that so-called future; he merely embraced it in his own way.

Gilgamesh had made peace with the future. But Zhuge Liang was different. He could never make peace with it. All he could do was tend to the matters at hand.

During this period, one shocking piece of news after another arrived. Guan Yu had barely reached his peak before being toppled from his pedestal. Liu Bei's vengeance for his brother began with overwhelming momentum, only to be burned clean away by a single fire.

If not for Fujimaru Kyoya pulling him from the flames at the last moment, the scene of entrusting his orphan at Baidi City might have played out once more.

The shifts in the situation were that strange.

At Guandu, everyone believed Yuan Shao would win. At Chibi, everyone believed Cao Cao would win. At Yiling, everyone believed Liu Bei would win. Yet all of them failed.

They failed so completely there was nothing left to say.

"Zilong... do you think I'm a fool?"

Liu Bei spoke with a pale face. Because Fujimaru Kyoya had been prepared, he arrived in time and Liu Bei had suffered almost no injuries.

But this defeat had struck him too hard.

As an elder brother, he could not avenge his younger brother. As a lord, he had squandered most of his family's legacy. Was he still worthy of being served by Zhuge Liang?

"If you hadn't stood up for your brother at this moment, he would not have served you."

Fujimaru Kyoya's words eased the color on Liu Bei's face. This was no lie—it was the truth.

"Zilong... we're friends, aren't we?"

"Yes."

"Then I leave it to you."

"Don't say things like that. You can still live for many years. Teach A Dou properly. Some things are better done by a biological father than by an outsider."

Even Fujimaru Kyoya, a man with little education, understood that the tug-of-war between royal power and ministerial power was extremely dangerous. Though Zhuge Liang himself had no intention of usurping the throne—his heart was set on the world, but he didn't care who sat upon it.

"The military advisor and I have an entrustment between lord and subject. I hand the future of this nation to him. But with you, it's different."

Liu Bei's eyes locked onto Fujimaru Kyoya. He could feel the seriousness in them.

[You understand that because of your interference, Liu Bei can live many more years. But you also understand that Liu Bei the lord has already died—died in that great fire at Yiling.]

"I'm not speaking as a lord, because you were never my subject. So as a friend... I entrust A Dou to you."

"I understand."

[You accept. When Liu Bei the lord died, all that remained was the benevolent Liu Bei. After his brothers left one after another, all he wished was for his child to receive help.]

[As a friend, you have no reason to refuse.]

[Talent "Last Will" unlocked: A gentleman's promise—nine deaths without regret. Even if only your soul remains, you will rush to fulfill the vow you once made.]

Time continued to march on. Though some deviations had occurred from the original history, Liu Bei's survival could not bring better development to Shu.

[You understand that Zhuge Liang has already begun formulating his Northern Expedition strategy, and that Jie Ting will be entrusted to Ma Su for defense.]

[You tell Zhuge Liang that Ma Su might fail. But Zhuge Liang has long anticipated this. Even so, he still insists on giving Jie Ting to Ma Su.]

[You sense his resolve. Shu has no pillar left to hold it up—if both he and you fall, who will take charge of the situation? Even knowing he might fail, Zhuge Liang still sent him to guard Jie Ting.]

When Shu has no great generals, Liao Hua must lead the vanguard.

This rise to a peak and then inevitable decline—that is the tragedy of this kingdom, perhaps.

Chapter 68: The Dead Zhao Yun Begins Attacking Me

[You watch Liu Bei die. You feel deep sorrow—a friend has left you in this world.]

[You die.]

[You... died...?]

Fujimaru Kyoya opened his eyes. If his memory served him right, he should have died—lying in his own home, passing away peacefully from old age.

Yes, I should have died.

Fujimaru Kyoya did not understand this situation. By all logic, he should have returned to his original world, yet he still lingered over this land like a restless ghost, refusing to leave.

[Do you remember?]

Remember what?

[What about your promise?]

But I'm already dead.

[Do you truly believe life and death are such inconvenient things?]