Chapter 1483: Unspeakable Loneliness

On the vast ancient battlefield, the sunset was like blood, dyeing the sky a deep red; the roar of war drums and the sound of weapons clashing intertwined, forming a tragic and heroic song of praise. Zhao Yun, styled Zilong, with a silver spear and a white horse, was full of courage; at this moment, he was leading a small number of elite cavalry, charging left and right in the heavy encirclement of the enemy army, like a fierce tiger entering a flock of sheep, invincible.

The battle had lasted for several hours, and Zhao Yun's silver spear was stained with the blood of the enemy, with every swing accompanied by the fall of an enemy. His gaze was firm and cold, with only one thought in his heart—protect the lord and break out of the encirclement. However, just as this battle was about to usher in a turning point, an unexpected danger quietly descended.

An enemy general hidden in the dark, seeing Zhao Yun's unparalleled heroism, felt jealousy in his heart, so he secretly took out a specially made poison arrow and aimed it at Zhao Yun. This arrow was coated with deadly poison; once hit, even an iron body would find it hard to resist its erosion. With a subtle sound of breaking through the air, the arrow pierced the air and headed straight for Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun was fully focused on the battle before him and did not notice this sudden hidden arrow. Until the moment the arrow was about to touch his chest, a sense of crisis surged into his heart; he instinctively leaned to one side, his silver spear blocking horizontally, and only heard a crisp "ding" sound; the arrow was deflected by the tip of the spear, but the tip of the arrow still scratched his battle robe, leaving a long, thin wound, and blood instantly stained his lapels.

At first, Zhao Yun did not take this wound to heart, thinking it was just an ordinary arrow wound, and continued to kill the enemy with all his might. But as time passed, he gradually felt an unusual chill spreading from the wound, and his limbs and bones seemed to be invaded by this cold air, and his strength began to gradually lose. He then realized that he had been hit by a poison arrow.

"General Zilong, you are wounded!" The personal guards beside him were shocked and hurried forward to support him. Zhao Yun endured the poison surging in his body, pushed the guards away, and said in a deep voice: "No harm, quickly break out!" He knew well that he must not fall now; once he fell, not only would his own life be hard to guarantee, but it would also plunge the entire team into a desperate situation.

Thus, Zhao Yun, relying on his astonishing willpower and superior martial arts, raised his silver spear again, launching a fierce attack on the enemy army like a storm. Every charge of his appeared exceptionally difficult, but that unyielding will inspired every soldier who followed him. Under their joint efforts, they finally found a place where the enemy's defense was weak, fought with all their might, and finally rushed out of the encirclement.

However, Zhao Yun, who had escaped the encirclement, was already at the end of his rope; the poison in his body began to rage wildly, his face was as pale as paper, and sweat and blood were intertwined, soaking his battle robes. Seeing this, the guards were anxious and hurried to support him to a hidden place, searching everywhere for antidotes.

Fortunately, at this critical juncture, a military doctor accompanying the army happened to discover Zhao Yun. He quickly checked the wound, confirmed that he had been hit by deadly poison, immediately took out several rare herbs from the medicine box he carried, carefully applied them to the wound, and matched them with detoxifying pills for internal use. The doctor told Zhao Yun that although the poison was fierce, it was fortunate that it was discovered in time, coupled with his strong constitution, as long as he recuperated with peace of mind, he would definitely recover gradually.

In the following days, Zhao Yun, under the careful care of his guards, gradually recovered his vitality. He lay on the bed, looking at the sunset gradually sinking outside the window, his heart filled with awe for life and expectations for the future. He knew that the reason he was able to snatch this life back from the hands of the god of death was not only because of the doctor's superb medical skills but also because of those guards who did not leave him in his time of crisis, as well as that indomitable fighting spirit.

After his injuries healed, Zhao Yun put on his armor and went to the battlefield again; his figure was active on the battlefield again, continuing to write his own legend.

Zhao Yun had just recovered from his serious injuries and returned to the battlefield, but his heart carried an unspeakable heaviness. He knew well that this poisoning incident was not accidental, but that the enemy had been peeping in the dark for a long time, attempting to weaken their side's strength through despicable means. This realization made his hatred for the enemy even deeper, and at the same time, it made his attitude toward certain "allies" become unprecedentedly cold and resolute.

One day, Liu Bei summoned the generals to discuss military affairs, and the atmosphere in the camp was solemn. Zhao Yun stepped into it, his gaze sweeping over everyone present; that gaze contained both a thirst for victory and vigilance against betrayal. Halfway through the meeting, a general who usually had a decent relationship with Zhao Yun suddenly proposed a seemingly reasonable but actually hidden-risk combat plan. This general spoke earnestly, trying to persuade everyone to accept his suggestion.

However, after hearing this, Zhao Yun's brows locked tight, his face had no expression, and he just coldly spat out a few words: "This plan is not feasible." His voice was not high, but it was as piercing as cold ice, making the camp that was originally discussing hotly instantly quiet down.

That general obviously did not expect Zhao Yun to oppose so directly; his face turned blue and white, and just as he was about to open his mouth to defend himself, Zhao Yun had already stood up and continued mercilessly: "This plan only cares about small immediate gains and ignores the safety of the overall situation. If executed, it will definitely plunge our army into a situation of eternal damnation. As a general, one should prioritize the overall situation; how can one bury the lives of soldiers for one's own private interests?"

Once these words were spoken, the camp was in an uproar. Everyone was surprised by Zhao Yun's state today; although he was known for his bravery on weekdays, he was always gentle and polite in dealing with people; when had they ever seen him reprimand his colleagues so mercilessly?

Seeing this, Liu Bei frowned slightly, but he knew well that Zhao Yun's temperament was upright; if the situation were not serious, he would never be like this. Thus, he coughed lightly, signaled everyone to be quiet, and then turned to Zhao Yun and asked: "Zilong, what high opinion do you have?"

Zhao Yun took a deep breath and slowly stated his analysis of the current situation and a more secure combat strategy. His words were clear in logic and rigorous in reasoning, and every word revealed his thirst for victory and his cherishing of the soldiers' lives. After hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, and even the general who had been reprimanded before showed a look of shame.

After the meeting ended, Zhao Yun walked out of the camp alone; the night wind blew on his face, bringing a trace of coolness. He looked up at the starry sky, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He knew that his actions today might offend some people, but he knew even more clearly that as a general, his duty was to protect his soldiers well and win every battle. In this process, any factor that might threaten these must be mercilessly eliminated.

In the following days, Zhao Yun's performance on the battlefield was even more outstanding; he led by example, leading soldiers to defeat the enemy's attacks time and again. And his attitude also became more distinct and firm. For those generals and soldiers who hesitated at critical moments or even attempted to drag their feet, he mercilessly gave criticism and punishment, never allowing anyone to threaten the unity and combat power of the army.

This merciless attitude, although making some people feel dissatisfied and fearful, also won the respect and trust of more people. They knew that it was precisely because of a general like Zhao Yun that they could be invincible on the battlefield and win every battle.

However, Zhao Yun always had an unspeakable loneliness in his heart. He understood that as a general, he must always remain clear-headed and calm and could not have the slightest weakness and hesitation. But behind this resilience and decisiveness was his deep care for his comrades and his infinite thirst for victory. He looked forward to the day when he could lead this heroic army to completely defeat the enemy and return a peaceful world to the people. By then, perhaps he could put down all defenses and coldness and use his true heart to embrace every brother who had once fought side by side. ===== CHAPTER 1484 =====