Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Peacock-Opening Arrow

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Liu Bei felt a little uneasy. Ever since Chen Xi shifted his gaze away from Yuan Shao, he had been looking Liu Bei up and down.

“If you have something to say, Zichuan, just say it. There is nothing I can do for you if you keep staring at me in silence.” Liu Bei gave two light coughs before questioning Chen Xi, who was still scrutinizing him.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just wondering—Yuan Shao can actually radiate an aura of imperial dominance. How is it that Xuande Gong has none?” Chen Xi regarded Liu Bei with great interest. In the more than month he had spent accompanying Liu Bei, he had never once seen him radiate that sort of overwhelming majesty—one that made a hero’s body tremble and the great men of the realm bow their heads in submission. Instead, it was Yuan Shao, whom Chen Xi had never thought highly of, who kept making him look twice.

“What aura of imperial dominance? How could I possibly compare with our盟主?” Liu Bei asked in confusion. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and even Hua Xiong, who had made himself look almost indistinguishable from a bandit chief, all turned toward Chen Xi with curiosity.

“You know—the kind of presence that makes your body tremble, causing heroes from every direction to bow at your feet. Just like what our盟主 did earlier: he won Sun Wentai over with sheer breadth of spirit and courage. General Sun was so moved he nearly threw himself at our盟主’s legs.” Chen Xi gestured a few times. Seeing that no one understood, he offered an example.

“Zichuan, you should not say such things so carelessly.” A peculiar smile appeared on Liu Bei’s face, though his words were still a warning for Chen Xi to stop talking nonsense.

“All right.” Chen Xi shrugged. “Lü Bu will certainly come to challenge us in a little while. Brother Yun, how is your archery?”

Zhao Yun regarded Chen Xi with some confusion, but nodded all the same. “My master took special care to teach me archery. I can barely be said to have entered the discipline.”

“Oh, then I’ll leave it to you. If Lü Bu comes up to make trouble, and someone can be taken down within three or five moves, don’t intervene. But if someone manages to withstand twenty or thirty moves, and defeat is clearly imminent, Brother Yun, step in and save him. We can consider it an act of goodwill.” Chen Xi smiled, then turned and gave Zhang Fei an ominous grin. “Third Brother, what was it you said while drinking yesterday?”

“It’s only Lü Bu, isn’t it? I’ll tear him apart!” Zhang Fei’s dark face grew even more solemn, but there was little fear in his voice. With three powerful comrades behind him—even if they merely held back and maintained the threat—Lü Bu might defeat him, but he would never be able to stop Zhang Fei from fleeing. What could Lü Bu do? Zhang Fei had too many brothers.

Unfortunately, Zhang Fei’s booming voice carried to everyone present. Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and the others glanced at him with smiles on their faces. There was no contempt in their eyes, though a few people whispered among themselves and pointed at Zhang Fei. For someone as thick-skinned as Zhang Fei, however, none of it mattered.

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“All right. I hope you really can tear him apart.” Chen Xi spoke helplessly.

Just then, a tall, yellow-faced man rode over and saluted Guan Yu. “Xiahou Miaocai pays his respects to Lord Xuande, Brother Yunchang, and Yide.”

“You are not bad.” Guan Yu opened his half-lidded eyes by a narrow slit.

“I hope I will have the opportunity to exchange a few moves with Brother Yunchang.” Xiahou Yuan cupped his hands in salute.

“Good.” The Second Master remained as sparing with words as ever. He was not familiar with Xiahou Yuan, and the fact that he spoke normally at all was already quite something.

“You actually used Lü Bu to break through. Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Zhang Fei looked at his future father-in-law with open curiosity and admiration. His reaction made Xiahou Yuan somewhat embarrassed. Had Xiahou Yuan known that this fellow would one day marry his daughter, he probably would have slapped him across the face on the spot.

“If you intend to fight Lü Bu, Yide, you had better make more preparations. Lü Bu’s ferocity last night still leaves me shaken.” Xiahou Yuan offered a warning. Lü Bu’s brutality had been carved into his bones. From now on, unless absolutely necessary, he would never provoke that monster again.

“Hahaha, don’t worry, don’t worry. See them? They’re here to cover me. Nothing will happen.” Zhang Fei spoke carelessly, his face full of pride. With three supreme experts beside him, even Lü Bu might well stumble into disaster.

“Then I wish you victory at the very first clash, Yide.” Xiahou Yuan looked at Zhang Fei, then at Zhao Yun and Guan Yu, yet could not discern anything unusual. With no other choice, he decided not to dampen Zhang Fei’s enthusiasm.

“Don’t worry. Even if I can’t win, Lü Bu won’t gain the slightest advantage. I have brothers.” As he spoke, Zhang Fei cast a proud glance at Guan Yu, who gave a faint nod.

“In that case, I can rest easy. If you need anything, call out.” Seeing Guan Yu nod as well, Xiahou Yuan said no more. Even if Guan Yu and Zhang Fei could not defeat Lü Bu, they would not be in any real danger—or so Xiahou Yuan believed.

Lü Bu sat beneath the gate tower of Hulao Pass. Bathed in the morning sunlight, his towering frame looked like that of a god. The area around him was silent; there was not even a single soldier guarding the pass. This was Lü Bu’s confidence, and also the acknowledgment every soldier gave to his strength. No troops were stationed there. To pass through, one had only to defeat Lü Bu.

But was there anyone who could?

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Staring at the black line on the horizon, Lü Bu’s keen eyes could make out every strand of hair on every person. Naturally, he had already found the targets he wanted: Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the man who had dared to shoot at him the day before. The blood staining his Heaven-Piercing Halberd would belong only to the strong.

As for Red Hare, Lü Bu had already loosed its reins and allowed it to wander freely. He was not afraid that anyone would try to steal it. Quite apart from Red Hare’s strength, which was no weaker than that of an expert who had reached the stage of Inner Energy Leaving the Body, Lü Bu’s own reputation alone was enough to make anyone coveting the horse retreat.

Of course, Lü Bu also knew that Red Hare would not stray far. It would roam within a dozen or so miles of the pass. Whenever he needed it, a single long whistle would summon it. Red Hare would streak through the air like a line of fire, once more becoming his mount and following him as he slaughtered every enemy who dared appear before him.

“They’re here.” Lü Bu rose to his feet and gazed at the eighteen coalition lords gathered in the distance. A strange thought suddenly arose in his mind. Would it not be amusing to charge over now and kill them all? Or perhaps he could unleash a display of arrows in that direction. The people opposite would surely descend into chaos.

Lü Bu had no intention of concealing such thoughts. Charging over would require him to summon Red Hare, so after some consideration, he took out his treasured carved-bow and drew four arrows the size of short spears. He nocked them, drew the bowstring, and fired toward the leaders of the eighteen coalition forces gathered along the horizon.

With a thunderous detonation, Lü Bu did not even glance toward where the arrows had flown. He nocked another four arrows and repeated the motion four times before finally putting away his bow.

The moment Lü Bu’s arrows locked onto them from afar, Zhao Yun drew his own treasured bow from the saddle. He did not nock an arrow, however, merely drawing the string. When the clouds of sonic explosions appeared, Zhao Yun pulled the bow fully open. Four successive silver-blue arrows shattered the projectiles hurtling toward them.

“Hidden blades?” Zhao Yun watched as the arrows of both sides collided and dissolved into ash. Several golden-red arrows of energy shot from the wreckage like streaks of light, and a trace of battle intent appeared on his calm face.

He drew the bowstring taut. A buzzing hum gathered along it. When he released the string, slender silver-blue threads surged upward against the current, enveloping the path traced by the golden-red radiance.

“What comes from another must be returned!”

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