Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

”The term ’Undying Monster’ refers to Zhou Youping’s incredibly tenacious vitality. He’s nearly impossible to kill,” Chen Xi explained with a shrug. ”Unless you cut off his head on the spot, even if you leave him barely alive, the next time you see him, he’ll be as lively as ever.”

”You must be joking!” Gan Ning said incredulously, all the while using his internal energy to treat his injuries. ”I’ve never heard of such a person.”

”But it’s true—Zhou Tai is one of those rare cases,” Chen Xi responded with a helpless shrug. He realized that the unique traits of these historical figures hadn’t changed; in fact, due to the world’s increased strength, their characteristics had only intensified. Zhou Tai, the ’Undying Monster,’ had become even more resilient.

”...,” Gan Ning fell silent, but he made sure to remember Chen Xi’s words. If Zhou Tai really possessed such a trait, killing him would be extremely difficult. Killing an Internal Qi Manifestation-level fighter who could only be killed by decapitation seemed like a feat only Lu Bu could accomplish.

”It seems Sun Bofu hasn’t pursued us,” Chen Xi remarked, pulling on the reins to slow down and glancing back. ”Today’s events were strange. A person like Zhou Yu didn’t respond in time, and even more puzzling is that they didn’t have a rear guard or pursue us. Something feels off.”

”If we consider Sun Ce’s force as a whole, their strongest component isn’t their underdeveloped land army but rather the navy they captured in Jiangxia and retrained. They likely don’t want to risk everything in a confrontation. It seems we’ll have to put in some effort to retreat,” Gan Ning quickly analyzed, arriving at the simplest and most realistic conclusion.

”Perhaps our timing was just too precise. As for the naval battle on the Yangtze, I never intended to avoid it. I need to see how we measure up against the strongest navy in the land,” Chen Xi mused after a moment’s thought.

”The strongest navy, huh? Haha! Even I, Gan Xingba, don’t claim to have the strongest navy. Who’s so arrogant?” Gan Ning raised an eyebrow. Although he knew who Chen Xi was referring to, he refused to acknowledge such a self-deprecating statement.

”Well, you might just win,” Chen Xi said, rubbing his chin.

”Heh, I knew it. If I, Gan Xingba, didn’t say it, who are they to claim it?” Gan Ning grinned, but then his expression darkened as he remembered the situation with the Lu family. He sighed and said, ”Looks like we failed this mission. The Lu family is gone. If only we had been faster... Given the situation earlier, Lujiang City fell in just about an hour.””It’s not that simple. Although Lujiang City fell, the Lu family may not have perished. While some clans have indeed been wiped out in wars, most of them make preparations beforehand, leaving behind opportunities and bloodlines to rise again,” Chen Xi shook his head. ”Let’s search for the Lu family while Sun Bofu is occupied. We might still find something.”

”I hope so,” Gan Ning sighed. ”I wonder if Gan Luo has found anything.”

Meanwhile, Sun Ce carried Zhou Tai back to Lujiang City. After some treatment, it was hard to say whether it was due to the doctor’s skill or Zhou Tai’s resilience, but Zhou Tai’s life-threatening injuries stabilized quickly. Within an hour, Zhou Tai had regained consciousness.

”Ugh, it hurts...” Zhou Tai hadn’t even cried out in pain yet when Pang Tong, who had just woken up, started screaming in agony. He had been the unluckiest of them all—first struck hard by Chen Xi, leaving him dazed, and then brought to the front lines by Sun Ce. When Chen Xi unleashed his spiritual shockwave, Pang Tong instinctively bore the brunt of it and collapsed again.

”Shiyuan, are you okay?” Sun Ce asked nervously, seeing Pang Tong clutching his head in pain.

”I swear, Chen Zichuan, I’ll make you suffer the same! Ah, it hurts, it hurts...” Pang Tong began cursing, only to be interrupted by another wave of pain.

”Alright, stop shouting,” Zhou Yu, sitting nearby, said to Pang Tong.

”My head feels like it’s about to explode. How are you fine?” Pang Tong asked, trying to maintain composure in front of Zhou Yu. He didn’t want to embarrass himself any further.

”I was just caught off guard. Let me play a tune for you; it’ll help you recover faster.” With that, Zhou Yu placed his green qin on his lap and began to play. A calming wave of energy flowed from the strings, and Pang Tong immediately felt a soothing coolness in his mind.

As the music ended, Pang Tong subconsciously stretched his body, noticing that his headache had significantly lessened and his spiritual energy had even started to recover.

Pang Tong stared at Zhou Yu with a complicated expression. For the first time, he felt a sense of envy. It seemed as though Zhou Yu had everything—spiritual talent, special abilities, military prowess, intelligence, good looks, and even the unmatched beauty of Xiao Qiao as his fiancée. Was Zhou Yu the favored child of the heavens, blessed with every good fortune?

”Shiyuan, feeling better?” Zhou Yu’s gentle voice pulled Pang Tong out of his thoughts as the last notes of the melody lingered in the air.

”Thank you, Gongjin.” Zhou Tai, wrapped in bandages, sat up and flexed his arms, performing some chest exercises. Although still somewhat stiff, he felt as if he had rested for several days.

”Mind your own business!” Pang Tong snapped irritably. As much as Zhou Yu annoyed him, Pang Tong couldn’t deny that Zhou Yu was the most reliable figure under Sun Ce’s command.

Zhou Tai was about to speak, but Sun Ce held him back. Matters of strategy and planning were best left to Zhou Yu, while Sun Ce and Zhou Tai excelled in leading troops and fighting on the front lines.

”Is the Yangtze River really an impenetrable barrier? We need to see how sharp our navy truly is,” Zhou Yu said with a smile. ”Our greatest strength lies in our navy, just as the northern forces rely on their cavalry. For us in the south, everything hinges on our naval prowess. We need to see if the Yangtze is truly a natural barrier.”

”Hmph, you’re thinking the same as I am, but I’m not just here to test our navy. I want to defeat them on the Yangtze and settle the score!” Pang Tong said with a proud expression.

Zhou Yu glanced at Pang Tong and silently turned away.