Chapter 284

"Second place."

Sun Ce turned to look at Zhou Yu.

"Gongjin, how do you think this Zhao Yun compares to me?"

Zhou Yu smiled and didn't answer directly, instead saying:

"Bofu, the Heavenly Dao Golden List ranks all the warriors of the Three Kingdoms."

"Every one who enters the list is a fierce warrior chosen from ten thousand."

"If Zhao Zilong can be ranked second, he must have his own extraordinary qualities."

Sun Ce snorted: "When we meet on the battlefield one day, I will have to test him."

Zhou Yu didn't respond.

What he was thinking was—Bofu, oh Bofu, if you really try to duel Zhao Yun, I fear you won't get the better of him.

Even Guan Yu is ranked behind him; what makes you think you can win?

But he didn't say it out loud.

Some things hurt one's pride.

Cheng Pu stood to the side, stroking his beard as he said:

"Zhao Zilong saving his lord at Changban Slope and repelling the Cao army at Hanshui were all achieved with real blades and real spears. This person must not be underestimated."

Sun Ce was silent for a while, then nodded.

He wasn't someone who couldn't accept facts; he was just competitive.

But being competitive didn't mean being stupid.

If the sky screen ranked Zhao Yun second, there must be a reason for it.

In the city of Chengdu, Zhang Fei looked at the words "Second Place" on the sky screen and was silent for a long time.

He didn't shout about being unconvinced like he did yesterday.

When Dian Wei was ranked third yesterday, he had shouted.

But after seeing Dian Wei's battle records, he was convinced.

Today, with Zhao Yun ranked second, he didn't even have a reason to shout.

Zhao Yun was his brother, his third brother, someone who had lived and died with his eldest brother for half a lifetime.

He knew Zhao Yun's capabilities better than anyone.

"Zilong is ranked second," Zhang Fei turned to look at Guan Yu, "Second Brother, do you think Zilong deserves second place?"

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes opened slightly as he looked at Zhao Yun's name on the sky screen and said: "Zilong is worthy of it."

Zhang Fei nodded and said nothing more.

But Liu Bei's eyes turned red.

It wasn't because Zhao Yun was ranked second, but because the sky screen said Zhao Yun "followed Liu Bei his entire life, never leaving or abandoning him."

He remembered the first time he met Zhao Yun at Gongsun Zan's place.

At that time, he was still a nobody, and when Gongsun Zan asked him why he defected to him instead of Yuan Shao, he had said, "The world is in turmoil, and I do not know who is right."

Gongsun Zan couldn't hear the deeper meaning in those words, but Zhao Yun did.

The two talked for an entire night; Zhao Yun felt he was a benevolent lord, and he felt Zhao Yun was a rare general.

Later, Zhao Yun left to mourn his brother's death and was gone for several years.

Liu Bei thought he would never see Zhao Yun again in this life.

Then they reunited in Yecheng, and Zhao Yun said a line he would remember for the rest of his life: "I will never betray virtue."

Zhao Yun had come to join him.

From a nobody to the second-ranked warrior on the Three Kingdoms Combat Power Ranking.

Thirty years had passed.

Liu Bei took a deep breath, not letting his tears fall.

The sky screen began to display Zhao Yun's life in detail.

【Basic biographical information】

【Date of birth: 164 AD, from Zhending, Changshan; height of eight chi, majestic appearance.】

【Date of death: 229 AD, died of illness in Chengdu at the age of 65.】

【Courtesy name and nicknames: Courtesy name Zilong; nicknames include Zhao Zilong of Changshan, Ever-Victorious General, Tiger-Might General; Liu Bei personally praised him as "being all courage."】

【Mentorship: Practiced martial arts from a young age, studied under the late-Han spear master Tong Yuan, and learned the Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix Spear.】

Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow upon seeing the words "Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix Spear": "Spear techniques have names?"

Liu Che explained: "First Emperor, by the end of the Han Dynasty, martial arts already had school lineages; warriors who were disciples of famous masters truly had a different foundation."

Liu Bang, however, noticed something else:

"Sixty-five years old? Living to sixty-five in such chaotic times is not easy! I only lived to sixty-two."

Liu Che coughed and didn't dare to respond.

This High Ancestor of his never looked at the occasion; sixty-two is sixty-two, why did he have to say it out loud?

【Choosing a lord through twists and turns, original intention never changed】

【In the second year of Chuping, he was recommended by the people of Changshan Commandery and led volunteers to join Gongsun Zan.

Under Gongsun Zan's command, he met Liu Bei and they felt like old friends at first sight.

After his brother passed away, he resigned to return home, and later officially joined Liu Bei in Yecheng, following him for over thirty years without ever leaving or abandoning him.】

Ying Zheng nodded upon seeing this passage.

He wasn't praising Zhao Yun, but rather acknowledging a quality.

What Ying Zheng hated most were fickle, treacherous people; someone like Zhao Yun, who "chooses a lord to serve" but does not "betray his lord," was the type he admired.

Liu Bang, however, became interested: "Jumped ship from Gongsun Zan to Liu Bei? That's good judgment!"

"That kid Gongsun Zan was no good and was eventually wiped out."

"Although Liu Bei started low, he was able to accomplish things."

Tang Taizong Li Shimin commented.

【Tang Taizong Li Shimin: A wise subject chooses a lord to serve; Zhao Zilong had the keen eye to recognize a hero, followed the former lord, and eventually became a legend through the ages. This kind of judgment is far beyond that of ordinary people!】

Cao Cao's comment followed immediately.

【Cao Cao: If I could have recruited this person back then, I wouldn't have to worry about the world not being settled! But Liu Bei snatched him first; it infuriates me!】

Liu Bang laughed out loud upon seeing Cao Cao's comment: "This Cao Cao, the more I look at him, the more interesting I find him."

"He doesn't give a proper comment, but the moment he opens his mouth, he's cursing Liu Bei."

Ying Zheng said indifferently: "Because his skills are inferior to others, he can only curse."

Liu Che hurriedly picked up his teacup and took a sip, pretending he hadn't heard.

The sky screen continued. It reached the most core part—the Battle of Changban Slope.

【Battle of Changban Slope】

【In 208 AD, Cao Cao launched a southern campaign; Liu Bei was defeated at Changban Slope in Dangyang, abandoning his wife and children to flee in a panic.

Zhao Yun, alone with his spear, holding the young lord Liu Shan, charged in and out of Cao Cao's million-strong army seven times, beheading over fifty famous Cao generals, and withdrew unscathed.】

Images appeared on the sky screen.

Cao's army covered the mountains and plains, a dark mass, with dust blocking the sun.

A white-robed, silver-speared general charged alone, holding an infant, his left hand protecting the child, his right hand wielding his spear to kill the enemy.

He charged into the enemy formation and killed his way through; then he charged in again and killed his way through again.

Once, twice, three times... seven times in total.

Every time he killed his way through, his silver spear was covered in another layer of blood. But his hand remained steady.

Cao's generals fell one after another.

Someone called out their names—Chunyu Dao, Xiahou En, Yan Ming, Zhong Jin, Zhong Shen... over fifty generals, all died under Zhao Yun's spear.

Ying Zheng finally couldn't help but stand up upon seeing this.

"Seven times in and out?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word felt like a nail driven into the ground.

"One man, charging into the enemy army seven times, killing over fifty generals? This is no longer fighting a war; this is a monster."

Liu Bang also stood up, but he was excited: "My goodness! How did that child survive?"

"No, how did this Zhao Yun survive? Is he made of iron?"

Liu Che took a deep breath.

Seeing Zhao Yun wielding his silver spear, killing his way in and out of a massive army, the visual impact was more intense than reading history books a hundred times.

Tang Taizong Li Shimin sighed repeatedly.

【Tang Taizong Li Shimin: Saving his lord at Changban Slope, his name will be remembered through the ages; loyal and brave, Zhao Zilong's performance in this battle is enough to be deified!】

Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the table.

【Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang: What a Zhao Zilong of Changshan! Saving the young lord amidst a million troops, charging in and out seven times, killing over fifty enemies—this record makes my blood boil just hearing it!】

Below the city of Chengdu, Zhao Yun looked at himself on the sky screen charging in and out seven times, his eyes somewhat dazed.

He remembered that battle very clearly.

Not because of how many people he killed, but because he almost lost his life that day.

Cao's army's arrows were like a downpour, and his armor was shot until he looked like a hedgehog.

Liu Shan in his arms cried until his voice was hoarse; he didn't know how to soothe him, so he could only hold him with one hand and kill the enemy with the other.

He didn't know if he would make it out alive.

But he knew that if Liu Shan died, the Shu-Han would be finished.

So he could not die.

In the distance, Liu Bei looked at the white-robed general fighting in a pool of blood on the sky screen, and his tears finally couldn't be held back, streaming down silently.

He turned to look at Zhao Yun beside him, his lips trembling for a long time before he could only say four words: "Zilong... Zilong..."