NOVPUBGuan Hai, holding his long spear with a calm expression, walked out of the great tent. The Yellow Turbans who had been surrounding the tent automatically made way for him, silently watching as Guan Hai plowed toward the exterior of the large camp.
Mounting the chestnut horse that Guan Yu had sent over, Guan Hai pulled on the reins and charged toward the edge of the camp.
The Yellow Turban Commanders behind him also did their best to follow, and some hundreds of meters away stood Guan Yu and his line of cavalry.
"Guan Hai, you truly are a man of your word," Guan Yu felt from afar a surge of Inner Qi no weaker than that of Hua Xiong in the past. When he saw the other man’s horse charging out, Guan Yu understood that this was the Guan Hai Liao Hua had spoken of.
Guan Hai reined in his horse a hundred paces from Guan Yu, bowed his fist in greeting, and said, "General Guan, I have heard of your superior martial prowess, and I, Guan Hai, also regard myself as one with such innate Inner Qi. I hope that the General can cross swords with me—I wish for you to use your strongest technique so that I may witness it."
"Very well!" Guan Yu’s phoenix eyes opened wide, and he sized up Guan Hai from head to toe. What he liked most were men of faith and righteousness, especially someone like Guan Hai, who faced death with such composure; it very much suited Guan Yu’s taste. Thus, having already intended to save Guan Hai, Guan Yu no longer hesitated.
Lifting his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Guan Yu caressed his beard with his left hand and said, "Guan Hai, I have a move called ’Azure Dragon Crescent,’ which once sliced through the walls of Leling City. Be cautious, Guan Hai."
After he finished speaking, a dragon’s roar was heard. A burst of blue light exploded from Guan Yu, and the spiritual essence flew out from the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. An azure dragon clutched the blade’s tip with its jaws, its body coiling around the long handle. The flowing breeze stopped abruptly, swirling inward toward Guan Yu at its center. A suffocating aura enveloped the whole area within a kilometer.
"This is my might, Guan Hai—take this!" With a great shout, Guan Yu pulled on the reins and charged directly toward Guan Hai, vanishing as if unseen by man or spirit. It all depended on these three strikes.
Guan Yu, with his Green Dragon Crescent Blade in a reverse grip, drew an exceedingly long phantom shadow, rushing uncovered toward Guan Hai.
On the other side, although Guan Hai had come resolutely prepared to die, he also wanted to see just how much strength he possessed in this world. He thus summoned all his Inner Qi and thrust his spear forward in a straightforward thrust.
[Well done!] Guan Yu laughed heartily in his heart. What he feared most was Guan Hai starting with a death wish, or worse, presenting himself for slaughter. In that case, wanting to save Guan Hai without revealing his intentions would have been impossible.
Guan Hai’s thrust was as if assisted by a divine spirit, coincidentally striking the blade of Guan Yu’s attack, deflecting the blow that bore immense destructive power. The strike cleaved a nearly hundred-meter fissure into the earth, with clumps of stone and soil flying into the sky.
In an instant, dust and haze engulfed the entire battlefield, leaving the vast majority of the Yellow Turban Commanders unable to see what was happening within.
Guan Yu’s strike missed, but he showed no signs of discouragement; he turned his horse for another slash. Guan Hai, as if possessed by a Celestial God, parried the attack once more. Centered on the spot where Guan Hai’s horse stood, a few meters away, Guan Yu’s two slashes left a massive double strike symbol carved into the ground.
However, two consecutive attacks on the ground had filled the entire battlefield with dust, and unless a civil official could blow away the sand, no one present could see clearly.
"Guan Hai, face my final move!" Guan Yu’s roar erupted from within the dust, followed by a dragon’s cry, then a huge blue light blade burst through the dust. With a thundering rumble, no further sounds came from the battleground where Guan Yu and Guan Hai clashed.
Somewhere among the Yellow Turbans, a cry broke forth first, soon followed by a chorus of voices inside the Yellow Turban camp, wailing "Farewell, Great Commander!"
A gust of wind swept across, and in the field of battle where two had fought, only Guan Yu solemnly stood on horseback in the center, while Guan Hai lay on the ground, his long spear still thrust into the earth, and his steed, a reddish-brown stallion, stood forlorn beside him.
Wei Yan and Guan Ping, who had already been arranged by Guan Yu, quickly carried over a massive coffin, placing Guan Hai’s body, which bore not a single wound, inside. They then covered the coffin, which, curiously, had two air holes at the bottom. What was that about?
"Listen well, Yellow Turbans, my lord Liu Xuande respected the righteousness of Guan Hai. Your past transgressions will be forgiven from this day forth, and you too shall rejoin the citizens of the Great Han! However, should you dare to err again, no mercy shall be shown!" Guan Yu’s voice, like thunder, carried over miles, reaching the ears of most Yellow Turbans and causing a million of them to alternate between tears and laughter.
"I beseech General Guan to allow us to worship the Great Commander," Du Yuan said, laying down all his weapons and kneeling before Guan Yu, even though he’d never contemplated the possibility that Guan Hai might still be alive.
"Granted," Guan Yu glanced at Du Yuan. Perhaps because he had saved a righteous man, his mood seemed bright, and although his tone was authoritative, it was not cold, "Guan Hai will also enter Jingling Palace. When the time comes, if you wish to go, you may worship him along with us."
"Thank you, General Guan," Du Yuan bowed gravely to Guan Yu.
Guan Yu sighed, casting a glance back at the colossal coffin. He knew that Du Yuan’s bow was not to him, but to the man he thought dead—Guan Hai—just as had been the case with Zang Ba before. The incense of their great leaders never ceased, truly honored with worship in all four seasons, and Guan Hai would likely enjoy this same treatment in the future.
Subsequently, just as after the Great Leader had faced death, under Guan Hai’s commanding presence, the Yellow Turbans calmly accepted the governance of Mount Tai, quietly waiting for rescue, and the hearts of the people, if not wholly content, were at least no longer swayed by others.
In May 193, Guan Yu pacified Qingzhou. He also opened up wastelands, re-measured the land, and distributed it to the poor. At the same time, he began to level various cities that didn’t meet standards for reconstruction, ushering a great many recently subdued civilians into an era of work-for-relief.
Building cities, digging canals, reclaiming wastelands, constructing residential districts, and paving roads, a great deal of resources, as planned by Chen Xi and others, poured into the land of Qingzhou. The once massive stockpile of strategic resources was once again exhausted.
Yet at this time, Chen Xi, back at Mount Tai, felt considerably better as he looked upon the empty warehouses. The resources accumulated over more than two years were all invested at once, and after the summer grain harvest, Liu Bei’s rule would no longer have to worry about food shortages in the short term, finally enabling preparations for a campaign to unify the land.
As he watched the light drizzle fall from the sky, Chen Xi silently outstretched his hand. By now, he was certain his spiritual talent was indeed as he had originally suspected; throughout the lands across several provinces, only under Liu Xuande’s rule were there no severe droughts. Though it might not be considered as perfectly harmonious, at least it was not a year of disaster. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
