Chapter Ten: War God Xingtian vs. Demon General Lü Bu — Part One

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In the spacious hall, civil and military officials were lined up on either side. At the head of the hall sat a middle-aged man nearing his fifties, his temples grayed, eyes radiating authority, casting a commanding gaze around the room. He sat solemnly in the main seat, exuding an air of anger. This was Ding Yuan, the Governor of Bingzhou, though his expression was grim, clearly reflecting his displeasure.

Behind Ding Yuan stood a robust and handsome young general. Atop his head was a purple-gold crown, adorned with a large red Zhuque plume. He wore a splendid battle robe embroidered with myriad flowers and beneath it hung crimson-gold armor. A precious belt of the Lion Barbarian style was fastened at his waist. One hand rested on his hip, the other loosely gripping the treasured sword hanging there. Without a doubt, the only man in Bingzhou who commanded such presence was Lu Bu.

Li Xiang stood quietly behind Li Yang, scrutinizing this man who should have been the foremost general of the Three Kingdoms. At present, Li Xiang was only a captain and naturally had no right to enter the governor’s hall, especially during such an important meeting. However, since Li Yang had brought him along, no one objected. They assumed Li Yang was preparing his son for the future. After all, Li Yang had only one son, Li Xiang, and as long as he was not hopeless, it was a foregone conclusion that he would become the head of the Li family. No one would risk offending both the present and future heads of the Li clan over such a minor issue.

“System, scan Ding Yuan and Lu Bu’s attributes.”

“Ding Yuan: Command 84, Martial Prowess 73, Intelligence 80, Politics 85. Ding Yuan’s attributes have reached their peak.”

Impressive—Ding Yuan’s stats even surpassed those of Li Xiang’s biological father. No wonder this outsider dared to vie for power among the great families of Bingzhou.

“Lu Bu: Command 86, Martial Prowess 102, Intelligence 72, Politics 60. Lu Bu has not yet reached his peak. At peak, Lu Bu’s stats are Command 93, Martial Prowess 107, Intelligence 78, Politics 68.”

After observing this, Li Xiang could only acknowledge that Lu Bu was truly peerless among men, his martial prowess at peak reaching 107. His command was also exceptional. However, his lower intelligence and political skill explained why Lu Bu’s future prospects were so bleak.

“Brother Ziliang (Li Yang’s courtesy name), may I ask if you harbor any doubts about my leading troops to reinforce Yanmen Pass?” Ding Yuan asked, barely suppressing his agitation.

Li Yang smiled slightly before replying slowly, “As the governor of a province, it would be unthinkable for you to personally venture into such perilous territory. It would be more prudent to select a capable general to lead the expedition. I believe General Fan Neng is suitable for such a great responsibility. He has served in the army for over a decade. Though not a military genius, he is experienced. With him leading reinforcements to Yanmen Pass, combined with Governor Li Ming and General Meng Wu guarding the pass, the defenses will be more than sufficient. What does the governor think?”

Before Ding Yuan could respond, a chorus of approval arose from the other officials. Nearly twenty in attendance, more than ten supported Li Yang’s suggestion, while only a few remained silent, their thoughts unknown.

Ding Yuan’s face grew even darker. “My son, Fengxian, possesses unparalleled courage and is the best choice for vanguard. If he leads the battle, our chances against the Xiongnu will greatly improve. Yet Fengxian is headstrong and reckless; without my supervision, disaster is inevitable. Though I dislike traveling, for the sake of the Han and the people of Bingzhou, I bear this duty without hesitation.” He then gave Lu Bu a meaningful glance. Lu Bu’s aura surged like a mountain, suffocating the assembly.

Seeing the hall silenced by Lu Bu’s imposing presence, Li Xiang quietly patted Li Yang’s back. Li Yang then recalled the plan from that day, exhaled deeply, and said, “Governor, although Secretary Lu is brave, Bingzhou has many fine young men. Why not hold a martial contest to select a general? If someone can match Secretary Lu, then you need not trouble yourself. Conversely, if Secretary Lu outshines all, then I would request your presence. What do you think, governor?”

Ding Yuan fell silent, quickly weighing the pros and cons. If there truly was someone comparable to Lu Bu, when would such an opportunity arise again? His silence made Lu Bu impatient. Without consulting Ding Yuan, he stepped forward, declaring, “Then let it be a contest. Who in this world can match me, Lu Fengxian?” Ding Yuan had no choice but to nod in agreement.

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At the training ground, once everyone had assembled, Lu Bu, holding his halberd and mounted on a tall steed, clad in crimson-gold armor, strode forward and proclaimed, “Who dares to challenge me, Lu Fengxian?”

Li Xiang intended to send Xing Tian to face him, but before any move was made, a loud shout rang out, “Kid, I, Liu Yang, have come to meet you.” A massive Han man approached with heavy strides. His teeth were broad and silver-white, eyes like golden orbs, fists as hard as bronze bowls, curly beard and hair, wielding a gigantic mountain-cleaving axe. A formidable warrior indeed.

“System, scan this man’s attributes.”

“Ding: Liu Yang, Command 78, Martial Prowess 99, Intelligence 71, Politics 68.”

“System, who is this man? With such martial prowess, why have I never heard of him?”

“Ding: Reminder, many talents in history were overlooked—some died young, others hidden in obscurity. History cannot record all people and events.”

While Li Xiang was checking the system, Lu Bu and Liu Yang had already charged into battle.

“Ding: Lu Bu’s ‘Peerless’ skill activated: Effect one, +6 Martial Prowess against enemies; Effect two, in group combat, +2 Martial Prowess per additional enemy, up to +6 against three foes.”

“Halberd adds +1 Martial Prowess; current Martial Prowess: 109.”

“Ding: Liu Yang’s ‘Battle-Hardened’ trait activated: Effect one, +4 Martial Prowess against enemies, plus +3 when under pressure; Effect two, +5 Martial Prowess in fierce battles.”

“Liu Yang’s ‘Battle-Hardened’ effect one fully active; current Martial Prowess: 106.”

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As the fierce battle continued, their auras grew even more ferocious. “Boom!” Their clash reverberated across the training ground. Both staggered back three steps, the strike ending in a stalemate. Yet a closer look revealed Liu Yang’s hands trembling violently, indicating Lu Bu held the advantage.

Lu Bu roared, “If this is all you’ve got, I have no interest in playing further.”

With that, Lu Bu’s aura surged once more.

“Ding: Lu Bu’s ‘Flying General’ skill activated: Effect one, +5 Martial Prowess against enemies; Effect two, +3 Martial Prowess when using a bow and arrow, persisting for a time even after ceasing archery; Effect three, +2 Command when leading cavalry.”

“Effect one active; Lu Bu’s current Martial Prowess: 114.”

At 114 Martial Prowess, Lu Bu surpassed Liu Yang by over eight points. Liu Yang could no longer withstand the assault. After three consecutive heavy blows from Lu Bu, he coughed up blood, barely holding onto his weapon.

Sensing Liu Yang’s weakness, Lu Bu suddenly struck the axe from his grasp with his halberd, then placed the weapon’s shaft against Liu Yang’s neck, calmly saying, “You’ve lost.” With a sweep of his halberd, he knocked Liu Yang from his horse.

“Xing Tian, what do you think? How would you fare against this man?”