The three men walked back to the General's residence in disappointment. Along the way, Ying had spotted a clothing shop. There was a stunning curved-hem dress inside, cherry blossom pink in color, with delicate floral prints on the skirt that evoked the feeling of spring in full bloom. Though Ying yearned to buy it, she carried no currency from this era. Moreover, the monetary units differed from Hong Kong dollars, making it impossible to gauge the prices of this time. Reluctantly, Ying returned to the General's residence.
As she opened the mansion's gates, a tall, imposing general stood before her. Clad in grayish-white armor, he had just removed his helmet, revealing waist-length white hair tied in a high ponytail. His eyes were a sharp, grayish-blue, though they held a hint of weariness. The white-clad general sighed disappointedly upon seeing Ying. “Ah, you must be Liu Ying. That brat Chengyan has been talking about you lately. He's gotten himself into serious trouble today—he actually killed a rogue in the studio...” Ying hurriedly introduced herself. The white-clad general immediately set aside his worry and smiled. “I am Zhao Zilong, a general serving the Lord. Why don't I escort you to the barracks so you can familiarize yourself with the surroundings?” Ying's eyes lit up instantly. She never imagined the real Zhao Yun would stand before her.
As they walked toward the barracks, the sound of an argument drifted out. Zhao Yun was startled by the scene before him: a towering, burly general had Chengyan pinned underfoot. The man's stature was like a mountain. This was no ordinary warrior's stature; it evoked the image of a guardian deity statue in an ancient temple, weathered by centuries of incense smoke and patina. Most striking was the long beard beneath his chin. Though meticulously groomed, it glowed in the twilight with a dark, ochre hue—almost metallic or like dried blood—as if it were not hair but countless fine, solidified flames. His earth-toned battle robe bore the marks of years of wear.
Zhao Yun stepped forward to intervene, exclaiming in surprise, “General Guan, let us discuss this calmly!” General Guan immediately released his foot, responding with burning fury: "I, Guan Yunchang, will not tolerate such egregious misconduct from my subordinates! That good-for-nothing Chengyan neglected his duties, failing to secure the door latch of Zhuiying's stable! That mare has a fiery temper and nearly caused a catastrophe, even kicking me and injuring me. Such a grave offense cannot be forgiven lightly!" Zhao Yun shot Chengyan a look, signaling him to hurry back to his quarters. The moment Guan Yu laid eyes on Ying, he met her with a cold stare, responding icily, “Another burden. Hand her over to Yide... His ‘rules’ are best suited for newcomers.” With that, Guan Yu stormed off, his half-closed phoenix eyes now fully open. Within them, no pupils remained—only two pools of pale blue, burning cold fire. Ying witnessed this scene and thought: “This arrogant, volatile general with icy glints in his eyes—is he truly the Martial Sage worshipped by generations to come?”
Zhao Yun sensed trouble and swiftly led Ying away. The path was deathly quiet, broken only by faint, distant scraping sounds of metal. Upon reaching the opposite side of the camp, the heavy scent of rust and ink hit them. Zhao Yun arrived at the other end and announced cheerfully, “General Zhang, we have a new recruit!” The figure stood with his back to them. His form wasn't as towering as Guan Yu's, resembling a divine statue, but rather like a fierce beast holding back its claws and fangs—taut and dangerous. He wore no full armor, clad only in a deep black robe. He held a massive horse lance taller than himself, using its tip like a brush to etch something into the ground.
At that moment, a young man with a short ponytail and clad in dark blue robes approached quietly from the side. Slightly shorter than Zhang Fei, his face was stern, yet a purple gleam occasionally flickered in his eyes. He bowed to Zhao Yun and said, "General, regarding the matter of Chengyan... ...was it because of the horse?“ Zhao Yun hastily corrected him: ”Jinglin, I already know about these matters. Leave the punishment to the Lord. Today, I'm introducing a new recruit—her name is Liu Ying.“ Ying then introduced herself to the young man, who replied: ”My name is Zheng Qin, courtesy name Jinglin. General Zhang is over there."
At that moment, the general approached slowly. He introduced himself to Ying with a respectful tone: “My name is Zhang Fei, courtesy name Yide. You must be the new recruit. I heard your name mentioned earlier—Liu Ying. Now that you serve under my banner, you should have a courtesy name. Addressing you by your given name feels improper. How about ‘Bingyue’? This courtesy name suits you perfectly.” Ying thought: “This general is actually Zhang Fei, the ‘Leopard-headed, Ring-eyed’ one! His appearance is so handsome—the images in games and TV dramas have been deceiving me all along!” Not wanting to disappoint Zhang Fei, Ying decided to accept his kindness. Just then, a scream erupted from the stables. Zhang Fei grumbled, "That beast is causing trouble again... Bingyue, the stables are no place for peace. Keep your distance."
After a while, the stables finally quieted down. Zhang Fei returned, looking slightly weary. He had lost interest in conversation and waved to Jinglin, signaling him to take the guest away. Zhao Yun seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and whispered to Ying, "Since General Zhang has accepted you, stay here with peace of mind. Remember: ask little, observe much." With that, he bowed to Zhang Fei and hurried away, clearly preoccupied with other duties.
As Ying followed Zheng Qin out, she couldn't resist glancing back. On the way to her quarters, she asked, “Why do they dislike this horse called Zhuiying? Isn't she just an ordinary mare?” Jinglin sighed helplessly. “Zhuiying is no ordinary horse. General Guan scolded her for her fiery temper, and General Zhang called her a cursed beast... Yet the Lord insists on keeping her. There must be deeper meaning.” “Rest early. In this military camp, nights when you can sleep peacefully won't be many.” With that, Jinglin gave a slight nod and vanished silently into the deepening night.
That evening, Ying could only relay her day's encounter to Professor Timing via mobile phone. Professor Timing replied: "Data verification complete. Zhao Yun is currently the most stable anchor point target, warranting limited trust. As for Guan Yu, his very existence is a product of faith corruption. The indiscriminate worship of later generations has collectively forged the terrifying divine fiend you witnessed. Zhang Fei... his refinement is merely a facade. At his core lies an extremely unstable emotional storm—a berserker poised to breach critical mass at any moment. I'll provide you with a threat index chart later. Trust no one. After all, appearances can be deceiving."
That night, Ying tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The path ahead was shrouded in thick fog. In this vortex dubbed the “Second Dark Age of Central Plains” by Professor Timing, everyone lived in constant fear. With no certainty of waking tomorrow, how could one even speak of the future?
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