The Watershed Moment

"Big shot, there's something I'm not sure I should ask."

Qi Fei suddenly spoke.

"Is it about how soldiers' talents take shape?"

Sun Wu asked.

"No. I wanted to ask why you seem to be turning a little transparent."

At first, Qi Fei had thought it was an illusion.

But as time went on, he could just about see through Sun Wu's body to the things behind him.

"Oh, this body is too weak to withstand Heaven's scrutiny much longer. It's nothing serious. I'll just return to my true form."

Sun Wu said unconcernedly.

"Then, after you go back, will you still be able to come here?"

Qi Fei quickly pressed him.

"I'd like to, but I'm afraid not. I can still move around now only because you all have gathered a fair amount of Fortune. Otherwise, I would've burst apart the moment I recovered my memories."

Sun Wu didn't need to guess how things would turn out.

The moment he left the army, Heaven would probably target him, and he wouldn't be able to go anywhere.

"Don't be sad. We'll meet again once I've cut away my name, or when you unify the Central Plains."

Sun Wu comforted Qi Fei.

"I don't think either will work."

Qi Fei rejected both options.

After Lord Shang's report, cutting away his name wouldn't help. It would just mean the big shot had suffered for nothing.

And there was no way to prevent the report, either.

Lord Shang's report had only activated Heaven's screening system because Bai Qi had self-destructed. Even without the report, the screening system could still have been activated.

As for unifying the country and bringing the big shot back then, that was far too distant.

The big shot already wanted to stay, so Qi Fei had to seize this chance.

Qi Fei immediately shared Internal Qi at the Internal Qi Separation level with Sun Wu, just barely stabilizing his body.

Then Qi Fei turned his gaze to Liu Bei's sword.

"Lord Xuande, may I borrow your Twin Swords?"

Liu Bei looked bewildered, but still handed Qi Fei his swords.

"Big shot, you should be able to see Fortune. Which of these swords can conceal your presence?"

Qi Fei asked, holding the swords.

The swords carried by feudal lords represented them to a certain extent, and naturally held Fortune. They should be able to conceal Sun Wu.

In theory, Liu Bei's seal would have been the best choice, but Chen Xi had it, and it wasn't here.

"Neither. Your Fortune isn't enough to conceal my presence for long."

Sun Wu shook his head.

Liu Bei and Qi Fei had powerful Fortune, but their limits were still constrained by their control of only one commandery.

Moreover, they had almost no connection to Sun Wu, so the protection their Fortune offered wouldn't be very strong.

"Wait, let me think. There has to be another way. I've got it."

A flash of inspiration crossed Qi Fei's mind, and he shared his connection with his Weapon Spirit with Sun Wu.

The next moment, Sun Wu's wavering figure stabilized. His aura, too, shifted from its earlier inhuman quality to something purer.

"I didn't know this was possible."

Feeling the changes in himself and his connection to Qi Fei, Sun Wu couldn't help marveling.

"I didn't think it would actually work, either."

Qi Fei hadn't expected that simply establishing a connection would blur Heaven's judgment.

Sun Wu's status had changed from that of a dead person whose account had already been deleted to Qi Fei's Weapon Spirit, much like the other immortals who had been revived.

That meant Sun Wu could move about freely until Lord Shang made his report.

By the time Lord Shang reported him, they would have unified the Central Plains and gathered enough Fortune to conceal Sun Wu's presence.

"Well done. Now I can stay."

Sun Wu patted Qi Fei's shoulder, pleased.

After lying around in Yunmeng Marsh for all those years, he had finally cleared his head. Now he wanted to see what Huaxia was like.

What's more, he could teach this kid along the way. Two birds with one stone.

"I'm glad you're willing to accept it, big shot."

Qi Fei breathed a sigh of relief.

He'd been worried Sun Wu would take offense at being a Weapon Spirit and see it as an insult.

"Hahaha, you rascal. Do you think I'm so petty?"

Sun Wu laughed.

"I was being small-minded. Please forgive me, Sage of War."

Qi Fei bowed in apology.

Whatever you say, at least I've shown proper respect.

"I told you, I don't mind. There's no need to apologize."

Sun Wu's helplessness was tinged with amusement.

Liu Bei still hadn't figured out exactly what had happened, but it seemed Sun Wu would be able to stay.

Taking the opportunity, he invited Sun Wu to join them for a feast.

Grateful for the change of subject, Sun Wu happily accepted Liu Bei's invitation.

"By the way, there's something I forgot to ask you."

As the group rode away from the military camp in their carriage, Sun Wu suddenly spoke.

"Please, go ahead, sir."

Liu Bei answered at once.

"Do any descendants of the Gui-surnamed Chen Clan still remain?"

Sun Wu asked with some concern.

Unlike in his previous life, where there was considerable debate, in God Three World, Sun Wu was clearly of the Chen Clan of the Gui River—the very Chen Clan that had replaced the Qi state.

So, after fully recovering his memories, Sun Wu had begun to worry about the Chen Clan's present situation.

Back when he left, the Tian-Chen Clan had been preparing to replace Qi.

That was no small matter.

If anything went wrong along the way, the whole family could easily have been wiped out.

"Well..."

Liu Bei glanced at Qi Fei with some concern.

They weren't from the Chen Clan's main line, after all.

"Go ahead, Lord Xuande. You can tell him."

Qi Fei said with a casual smile.

Splitting off from an Aristocratic Family was nothing unusual. The big shot was very familiar with that kind of thing and wouldn't mind.

Besides, there was no way to keep it secret.

?

Sun Wu looked at the two of them, puzzled.

"The Chen Clan now resides in Yingchuan and remains one of the most prominent families in the land."

Liu Bei naturally trusted Qi Fei's judgment.

"To be frank, Zihong and another civil official under my command both come from the Chen Clan, though they've since branched off from it."

Liu Bei told him everything about the conflict between the Qi Clan and Chen Clan, as well as Chen Xi's situation.

"I see."

Sun Wu understood.

He'd wondered why Qi Fei gave him a subtle sense of kinship. It turned out they were both from branches of the Chen Clan.

"Still, after all these years, the old Chen Clan hasn't changed at all. I don't know what to make of them."

Thinking of the trouble the Chen Clan's main line would face in the future, Sun Wu couldn't help chuckling.

He'd decided: later, he'd see whether that other kid was worth teaching, too. Then he'd put both of them to work giving the main line a hard time.

"What about my uncle, Tian Rangju? How are his descendants doing?"

Sun Wu asked about the teacher who had introduced him to military strategy.

"The Sima Clan, descended from the Grand Marshal, is flourishing as well."

Liu Bei continued.

"There's a child in this generation of the Sima Clan whose talent is no less than mine. I'll trick him into coming over someday and have you take a look at him, big shot."

Qi Fei added.

Sima Yi had plenty of potential, but unfortunately, he thought Liu Bei's ideas didn't suit him, so he ran off.

As a result, Zhuge Liang received guidance from all the big shots, including Chen Xi, fully developed his talents, and left Sima Yi far behind.

That wouldn't do.

Qi Fei had long since decided that when Sima Yi showed up, he'd go straight to his door, block his escape, drag him back, and give him a thorough education.

Prime Minister Zhuge and Sima Yi had to spend their lives locked in a love-hate rivalry. That was what made it feel like the Three Kingdoms.

Hehehe—

"Really?"

Sun Wu asked skeptically.

Could two people with the makings of a God of War really appear in the same generation?

"Really. He's quite capable."

Qi Fei assured him.

It was established that Zhuge Liang in God Three World had the potential to become a God of War.

And, as the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms showed, although Sima Yi had been in a tight spot, he really had been able to face the Prime Minister in battle.

So, Sima Yi in God Three World had the potential to become a God of War.

Yes. That was how it was.

"Although his head and body don't quite seem to go together, so he tends to look a little depressed."

That description had originally come from Zhuge Liang in a novel.

The "wolf's gaze" in "eagle eyes and a wolf's gaze" referred to being able to turn his head 180 degrees. It really did make his head look like it didn't fit with his body.

On top of that, unification by Great Han had become a foregone conclusion, making Sima Yi's eagle eyes and wolf's gaze seem rather awkward.

So the idea that his head and body didn't go together had become widespread in God Three World.

But Sima Yi was indeed rather gloomy.

Especially after marrying Zhang Chunhua, whose Mental Talent let her communicate with every other living being. Having to face a wife who could read his mind every day only made the gloomy prince even gloomier.

"That's a small problem. Once you trick him into coming over, just give him more useful work to do. He won't have time to brood."

Sun Wu didn't think it mattered.

If he was gloomy over something like that, it just meant he had too much free time. Let's see if he had time to worry when he was working every day.

"Good point."

Qi Fei nodded.

Watching Sun Wu and Qi Fei, Liu Bei couldn't help wondering:

Why did these two seem like child traffickers?

Had the image he'd seen of them on the battlefield, both so fearsome and powerful, actually been a lie?

"By the way, your descendants are still around, too, big shot. One of them made a mistake, but someone helped him, so his wife and children are doing fairly well."

Qi Fei told Sun Wu about Sun Jian.

The difference between Yuan Shu in God Three World and Yuan Shu in Romance of the Three Kingdoms was enormous. In God Three World, Yuan Shu truly treated Sun Ce like half a son.

After his own son died, Yuan Shu had even let Sun Ce inherit his whole domain.

Who wouldn't praise our Gonglu for being such a decent man?

"Alas, my family has fallen into disgrace."

Sun Wu sighed after hearing the story.

Was something like the Heirloom Seal of the Realm really something a mere Prefect of Changsha should have touched?

If he could do such a thing and still failed to keep it secret, then it was only right that he got himself killed.

"Never mind. Since a benefactor helped them, let them be."

If the Sun Clan were really on the verge of ruin, Sun Wu would have wanted to give them a hand.

But since they were doing all right, he'd leave them be.

He'd treat it as a trial for the next generation.

"Lord? Zihong?"

Just as their carriage was about to enter Fenggao, a voice called from a distance.

Qi Fei turned to look. It was Zhao Yun and Tong Yuan.

Zhao Yun was carrying two Qi Solidification oxen, while Tong Yuan held an Internal Qi Separation-level antelope and a pure-black steed whose Qi had solidified into a protective aura.

Behind them was the exhausted Night-Shining Jade Lion, panting heavily.

They must have spotted Qi Fei and Liu Bei, so they'd landed nearby.

Liu Bei immediately ordered his attendants to stop the carriage, then got out with Qi Fei to greet Zhao Yun and Tong Yuan.

Seeing them move, Sun Wu simply jumped down as well.

"What are you doing?"

Qi Fei looked at the pair and their horse with some confusion.

"Greetings, Lord Xuande."

The two men first saluted Liu Bei, then turned to Qi Fei.

"Here, Zihong. This is a thank-you gift we prepared for you."

Yunmei tossed two oxen to Qi Fei.

At the same time, Tong Yuan handed Qi Fei a yellow sheep and a fine horse.

"Don't tell me you just went out to the grasslands and caught these?"

Qi Fei accepted their gifts, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"More or less. We have the Night-Shining Jade Lion to thank for it."

Zhao Yun patted his prized horse.

"Thank you. You've been through a lot."

Qi Fei wasn't just saying that to the two men. He was thanking the Night-Shining Jade Lion as well.

Two muscular men, two oxen, a yellow sheep, and a horse—all with Internal Qi cultivation and enhanced body weight—and they'd still had to hurry back so quickly.

No wonder even the Night-Shining Jade Lion, with its Internal Qi Separation cultivation, was exhausted.

"Not at all. Compared to the help Zihong gave us, this little gift is nothing."

Yunmei and Tong Yuan replied modestly.

The Night-Shining Jade Lion, meanwhile, couldn't help but feel moved.

Compared to its inhumane owner, this man was a true good person.

"In that case, let's eat two Internal Qi Separation-level beasts today."

As he spoke, Qi Fei shared the Internal Qi Separation realm with the two oxen.

The two oxen broke through to Internal Qi Separation one after the other.

"Fine, we'll eat you. The other one can be used for breeding."

Qi Fei said this as he caught the ox that had broken through second.

Today, they would eat this ox and that yellow sheep.

After sorting out the ingredients, Qi Fei finally turned his attention to the black horse.

"What about you? Do you want to be an ingredient or a mount?"

He activated his Mental Talent, directly sharing his thoughts with the horse.

Qi Solidification strengthened the mind, so the horse's intelligence wasn't low. At the very least, it could more or less understand what Qi Fei meant.

So the black horse lowered its head in front of Qi Fei without hesitation.

"Good. From now on, you're Dahei."

Qi Fei patted Dahei and helped him break through to Internal Qi Separation as well.

"No matter how many times I see it, your ability still seems unbelievable to me."

Sun Wu, who had been watching, looked surprised.

He hadn't expected the ability to work on creatures other than humans. It really was remarkably versatile.

"Lord Xuande, may I ask who this gentleman is?"

Zhao Yun looked at Liu Bei.

"This gentleman is a master strategist. He's traveling through the area and has just arrived here. I was about to host a banquet for him."

After speaking, Liu Bei introduced the two men to Sun Wu.

"Sir, these two are leading generals under my command: Zilong and Xiongfu."

"Greetings, sir," Zhao Yun and Tong Yuan said together.

Since Liu Bei had addressed him as "sir," the two of them naturally treated him with respect.

"I'm just a country bumpkin. There's no need for such formalities, heroes."

Sun Wu replied politely.

After some pleasantries, they all headed to Liu Bei's home together.

Qi Fei had Dahei drive the ox meant for breeding back home, while the other two ingredients were taken along.

After settling Sun Wu in, Liu Bei personally went to bring the others over.

Although he agreed with Qi Fei's approach, the others still needed to be reassured.

At the banquet, Qi Fei also raised his cup to the generals and apologized. What he'd done had been necessary, but it had still hurt his brothers' feelings.

Of course, Hua Xiong, Zhang Fei, and the others had also come to understand by then. Qi Fei was willing to reveal even his own Mental Talent, yet had been so guarded about that matter in particular. That was enough to show how risky it was.

So when Qi Fei apologized, everyone repeatedly apologized to him in turn, admitting that it had been their own fault for not supporting him right away.

And so the atmosphere at the banquet became exceptionally harmonious.