Not Seeking Fame Like Hegemon

There were only a dozen guards in the villa, and before long, only five or six remained, retreating inside covered in blood.

"Master Ziyu, quickly take the two ladies and leave through the back door! These are all Sun Huang's house slaves." One of the guards shouted.

Sun Huang? Lan Tian was very familiar with that name; he was a colleague who sat across from him at the Household Bureau. He owned some meager fields near Xiapi and was said to have only secured his position by clinging to the Chen Family's connections.

In the government office, this fellow had always been all smiles toward Lan Tian; he never expected him to have such a face.

While they were speaking, Sun Huang led over a dozen burly men charging in.

"Lan Ziyu, did you think this day would come for you?" Sun Huang, covered in rolls of fat, said with a sinister expression.

"Sun Baihe, what is the meaning of this?" Lan Tian held his sword across his chest, his face full of rage.

Sun Huang sneered, "Oh? You even know how to hold a sword? With Chancellor Cao returning to Xiapi, I naturally had to prepare a greeting gift. Those two ladies behind you are truly quite something."

"Shameless." Gan Qian and Mi Zhen were so frightened they hid in a small room beside the courtyard, though they still poked their heads out to observe the situation.

"Sun Huang, you villain." Lan Tian shouted in anger.

Sun Huang looked up and laughed, "A villain? Survival is the only truth. I've long since grown tired of nodding and bowing to you. Niu Er, Zhu San, go and slaughter him for me."

The guards in the courtyard had intended to help, but a dozen burly men rushed at them. They became locked in a chaotic struggle, leaving them with no strength to protect Lan Tian.

Niu Er held a wooden club, while Zhu San brandished a short blade; it seemed Sun Huang's household was short on weapons.

At this moment, a fighting spirit ignited in Lan Tian's heart. Although Lu Lingqi and Gao Shun had taught him martial arts, he had never once experienced actual combat.

Whether he would continue to survive in this world or end this transmigration would be decided today.

Niu Er and Zhu San were both ruffians raised by Sun Huang. They had only come to make up the numbers, but were unexpectedly singled out by their master. They could bully commoners in the city, but they had little experience in life-or-death combat.

Lan Tian was now a grown man. He was not as tall and imposing as Guan or Zhang, but he had persisted in martial arts training, and his muscles were firm and powerful, even if he looked like a mere scholar to outsiders.

Niu Er kicked off the ground and swung his club down with all his might.

Lan Tian's pupils contracted. He shifted his body in a flash, gripped his long sword, and swung it with force. A three-inch-deep gash was instantly carved into Niu Er's chest.

Steady, precise, and ruthless—Lan Tian's execution was impeccable.

Fresh blood splattered onto Lan Tian's face, and the scent of iron made him feel as if he had become a different person.

Is this what it feels like to swing a sword?

Is this what it feels like to kill?

When a common man flies into a rage, blood splatters ten paces.

On the way here, Niu Er had heard Sun Huang say that Lan Tian was nothing but a useless farmer's son, and that dealing with him would be as easy as slaughtering a chicken.

He never imagined that at the very first exchange, he would be gutted by this farmer. He clutched his wound in agony, but the gash carved by the sharp blade was too long; even both hands could not press it shut.

Sun Huang was stunned, terrified. This useless man could actually kill? Are all farmers this strong?

"San, what are you standing there for? Why aren't you helping?" Sun Huang urged.

"Oh!" Zhu San brandished his short blade and rushed into the fray in a panic.

Stimulated by the blood, Lan Tian's mind had calmed significantly. He raised his long sword to meet Zhu San's short blade.

As the saying goes, one inch longer, one inch stronger.

Lan Tian flicked his sword, creating a flash of steel, and Zhu San didn't even dare to meet it head-on.

While dodging, Zhu San suddenly noticed the rage on Sun Huang's face. He had no choice but to harden his heart and swing his blade with a crazed expression.

Lan Tian parried with his sword, then backhanded his blade in an upward diagonal slash, the sword's shadow flickering as it severed the man's arm.

The moment Zhu San cried out in pain, the long sword pierced directly through his chest.

Seeing his companion killed, the heavily wounded Niu Er on the ground trembled with such fear that blood gushed from his wounds, and he collapsed to the ground with a final shout.

"Master is mighty!" one of the nearby guards shouted in pleasant surprise.

At this moment, they were fighting for their lives against Sun Huang's slaves. Lan Tian's killing of the two men to assist them boosted the guards' morale significantly. Sun Huang was so terrified his guts felt like they were splitting, and he fled toward the gate, stumbling in his haste.

Seeing their master flee, Sun Huang's house slaves also fought while retreating toward the outside of the courtyard.

"Your younger brother is actually this brave? Why didn't he join the army with General Guan?" Mi Zhen watched, dumbfounded, from the room.

"This is the first time I've seen him like this, too. Back home, he wouldn't even dare to kill a chicken," Gan Qian said, shaking her head. She truly didn't know where Lan Tian found the courage; perhaps he was influenced by what his father had said back then?

Lan Tian was also nervous about killing for the first time, but thinking of those he had to protect, he forced himself to overcome the sensation.

Lan Tian drove Sun Huang and the others away, a surge of heroism rising in his heart. He returned to the courtyard and said, "You have been frightened. With me here, I will ensure you remain safe."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the guards retreated back into the courtyard, saying in a panic, "Sun Huang and his men are back!"

Sun Huang is back? Is this fat pig not afraid of death?

As soon as Lan Tian turned his head, he saw over a dozen armored soldiers charging into the courtyard. Their attire was clearly that of Cao Cao's regular troops.

He could manage against two ruffians, but going head-to-head with regular soldiers was trouble.

"General, it... it is here. Liu Bei's wives are hiding in the villa. That is Liu Bei's brother-in-law; he is exceptionally fierce!" Sun Huang led an officer into the villa with a fawning expression, still feeling lingering fear toward Lan Tian.

Lan Tian looked closely and saw that the man was actually an acquaintance: Xu Shuang, a deputy commander of Gao Shun's Xianzhen Battalion.

Xu Shuang clearly recognized Lan Tian as well, only now, they met as enemies.

"Sir, I trust you have been well." Xu Shuang cupped his hands in greeting, showing no signs of hostility.

"General Xu, it has been a long time." Lan Tian also cupped his hands to return the greeting.

Sun Huang realized things had gone south the moment he saw a general of the Cao family actually knew Lan Tian. He turned to slip away, but was cut in two by a single swing of Xu Shuang's sword.

The house servants Sun Huang had stationed outside the door were also dispatched in short order by Xu Shuang's men.

"This man was a sycophant who intended to offer the two ladies to the Prime Minister. I can ensure your safety for now, but everything else must be decided by the Prime Minister." Xu Shuang smiled as he sheathed his sword.

Lan Tian bowed in thanks. When the two spoke of Gao Shun, Lan Tian feigned ignorance of his whereabouts; even his own colleague Sun Huang had harbored evil intentions, and with Xu Shuang now having surrendered to Cao Cao, how could Lan Tian dare to speak the truth?

Guan Yu and Xu Huang fought a great battle outside the city, and with Cao Cao continuously reinforcing his troops, Guan Yu's forces dwindled with every passing moment.

As the Cao army surged in from all directions like a tide, Guan Yu saw that the situation was lost and resolved to sacrifice his life for righteousness. At that moment, he remembered the brocade pouch Lan Tian had given him.

He opened the pouch to find only a few words written inside: If the General is defeated, do not seek a hollow reputation by imitating the Hegemon-King; as our Lord still lives, you may follow the example of Goujian.

Guan Yu was stunned, thinking to himself, Does this Lan Ziyu possess the foresight of gods and ghosts? He understands my very thoughts so clearly. If I see my eldest brother again one day, I shall recommend him with all my might.

Lord Guan was well-versed in the Spring and Autumn Annals and knew the story of Goujian sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall all too well, so he immediately understood Lan Tian's intent.

Just then, Zhang Liao arrived to persuade him to surrender. Guan Yu took the opportunity to step down, agreeing to three conditions and promising that he would submit to the Han, not to Cao Cao, temporarily placing himself under Cao Cao's service.

Cao Cao was overjoyed to obtain Guan Yu. He dispatched Xiahou Yuan to Donghai to continue suppressing the rebellion, while the rest of the army set off for Xudu immediately to prevent Yuan Shao from taking advantage of the situation to launch a sneak attack.

"Younger brother, will we ever return?" Gan Qian asked, lifting the carriage curtain.

"It is unlikely for the time being," Lan Tian replied.

Gan Qian felt a pang of sorrow in her heart, for Lan Tian's words had almost always proven true. How could one not feel bitter at being forced to leave their homeland?

At that moment, Cao Cao was riding alongside Guan Yu. He caught a fleeting glimpse of the carriage and could not help but sigh to himself: A true beauty indeed.