Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Guan Hai walked out of the tent, carrying his long spear with a calm expression. The Yellow Turbans who had been gathered outside instinctively made way for him, silently watching as he moved forward. The crowd followed him as he made his way toward the camp’s exit.

Mounting the red horse that Guan Yu had sent, Guan Hai pulled the reins and charged out of the camp.

The Yellow Turban leaders hurried to follow him. Just a few hundred meters ahead, Guan Yu and his cavalry were waiting.

”Guan Hai, you truly are a man of your word,” Guan Yu remarked. From a distance, he could sense the strong inner energy emanating from Guan Hai, comparable to that of Hua Xiong. As Guan Hai galloped closer, Guan Yu recognized him as the man Liao Hua had described.

When Guan Hai reached about a hundred paces from Guan Yu, he pulled his reins and respectfully cupped his fists. ”General Guan, I’ve heard of your exceptional martial skills. I, Guan Hai, also possess considerable inner energy. I hope the General will grant me the honor of a duel and show me your strongest technique.”

”Very well!” Guan Yu’s phoenix eyes opened slightly as he assessed Guan Hai. He admired men of integrity, especially those like Guan Hai who faced death with such calm determination. This demeanor resonated deeply with Guan Yu, solidifying his resolve to spare Guan Hai.

Raising his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Guan Yu stroked his beard with his left hand. ”Guan Hai, I have a technique called ’Green Dragon Crescent.’ With this move, I once cleaved through the walls of Le Ling. Be cautious.”

With that, a dragon’s roar echoed as a burst of green energy erupted from Guan Yu’s body. The blade emitted a blinding light, and a dragon spirit emerged, its mouth gripping the blade’s edge while its body coiled around the long handle. The gentle spring breeze suddenly halted, and a suffocating pressure enveloped the area within a kilometer of Guan Yu.

”This is my might, Guan Hai. Prepare yourself!” Guan Yu shouted, spurring his horse forward, his blade leaving a long trail of afterimages as he charged at Guan Hai.

On the other side, Guan Hai, though determined to die, wanted to test his strength in this world. He summoned all his inner energy and thrust his spear forward with all his might.[Good!], Guan Yu thought, laughing inwardly. His greatest fear was that Guan Hai would simply surrender or seek death without resistance. Guan Yu wanted to save Guan Hai without revealing too much, and this confrontation provided the perfect cover.

Guan Hai’s spear, as if guided by fate, deflected Guan Yu’s powerful strike. The ground beneath them split open, creating a trench nearly a hundred meters long as debris and rocks flew into the air.

The battlefield was instantly shrouded in dust and smoke, obscuring the view for most of the Yellow Turban leaders.

Despite missing his target, Guan Yu remained undeterred. He circled back and swung his blade again. Guan Hai, once again seemingly blessed by divine intervention, deflected the blow. The ground around him fractured further, with deep fissures radiating outward from the impact zone.

The dust and debris now completely enveloped the battlefield. Without a strong wind to clear the air, no one could see what was happening.

”Guan Hai, brace yourself for my final strike!” Guan Yu’s voice boomed from within the dust cloud. Another dragon’s roar followed, and a massive green energy blade erupted from the cloud, accompanied by a thunderous crash. Then, all went silent.

Somewhere within the Yellow Turban ranks, someone began to cry, and soon the entire camp echoed with the mournful cries of ”Farewell, Great Commander.”

As the dust settled, only Guan Yu remained standing on the battlefield, his horse calmly beside him. Guan Hai lay motionless on the ground, his spear still embedded in the earth. The red horse stood solemnly next to its fallen master.

At that moment, Wei Yan and Guan Ping, who had been prepared by Guan Yu, quickly carried a massive coffin onto the battlefield. They carefully placed Guan Hai’s unscathed body inside and sealed the coffin. Oddly, the bottom of the coffin had two ventilation holes—what could that mean?

”Yellow Turbans, hear me! My lord, Liu Xuande, honors the loyalty of Guan Hai. From this day forth, your past transgressions are forgiven, and you shall once again be citizens of the Han Dynasty! However, should you dare to rebel again, there will be no mercy!” Guan Yu’s voice thundered across the battlefield, reaching the ears of the hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans. Their cries of grief soon turned to laughter and tears.

”General Guan, may we be allowed to mourn our Great Commander?” Du Yuan, having removed all his weapons, knelt before Guan Yu. Even with his sharp mind, Du Yuan couldn’t imagine that Guan Hai might still be alive.

”Granted,” Guan Yu said, glancing at Du Yuan. Perhaps because he had saved a righteous man, Guan Yu was in a good mood. His tone, though authoritative, lacked its usual coldness. ”Guan Hai will be enshrined in the Jingling Temple. You may pay your respects there as well.”

”Thank you, General,” Du Yuan said solemnly, bowing deeply to Guan Yu.

Guan Yu sighed and cast a glance at the massive coffin. He knew that Du Yuan’s bow was not for him but for Guan Hai, whom Du Yuan believed to be dead. Just like with Zang Ba, the former leader’s spirit would live on, worshipped year-round. It seemed Guan Hai would now receive the same honor.

What followed mirrored the aftermath of the former leader’s sacrifice. Under Guan Hai’s immense influence, the Yellow Turbans peacefully accepted Taishan’s governance, patiently awaiting aid. While not entirely content, they were no longer easily swayed by outside forces.

In May of 193 AD, Guan Yu successfully pacified Qingzhou and began reclaiming the land. Fields were remeasured and redistributed to the poor, while towns and villages were rebuilt according to new standards. Large numbers of newly subdued citizens entered a period of labor in exchange for food.

New cities were established, canals dug, wastelands reclaimed, residential areas built, and roads paved. Following Chen Xi’s plans, vast resources were poured into Qingzhou, once again depleting the strategic reserves that had been stockpiled.

However, back in Taishan, Chen Xi, surveying the now-empty warehouses, felt much more at ease. The resources accumulated over two years had been fully invested, and once the summer harvest came in, there would be no more concerns about food shortages in Liu Bei’s territory for the foreseeable future. Finally, they could begin preparing to conquer the rest of the land.

As Chen Xi stood in the light rain, he quietly extended his hand. He had confirmed his suspicions—his spiritual talent was likely as he had once guessed. Within a few states, only Liu Xuande’s domain had been spared from the great drought. Though not a perfect year, it wasn’t a disaster either.