Having lost their walls and gates, the Yellow Turban army was now engaged in urban warfare within the city. It was a literal last stand. All that was left for the Han forces to do was to sweep up the remnants of the Yellow Turbans and behead Zhang Jue, the leader, to declare the end of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. However, the resilience of the Yellow Turbans, resisting to the very end, was not something to be underestimated.
“It’s time to show our conviction to the incompetent court! For our brothers and sisters!”
Oooooooh——!!
The final desperate attack of the Yellow Turbans posed a serious challenge for the Han forces. Even when faced with imminent death from wounds, they continued to swing their swords, dragging down their foes with them. Injured and falling, they still clung to the legs of Han soldiers, hindering them to the very end. Their crazed determination to take down at least one more enemy led to increasing casualties among the Han forces.
Without capable generals like Lü Bu, this siege at Geolrok would have undoubtedly been a loss. Had the Yellow Turbans had more time, perhaps the nation’s fate could have been different. But due to an internal betrayer, Zhang Jue’s plans were exposed prematurely, forcing him to start the rebellion sooner than planned.
“There you are.”
“Lü Bu?”
Just then, Lü Bu, who had created chaos on the walls, approached me.
“Is the wall completely taken care of?”
“Yeah. There were others who fought well too. I stirred things up a bit, then left the rest to the others and came here.”
For Lü Bu to praise someone’s fighting skills was rare indeed. Surely, this person must be significant and someone I’d eventually meet.
“Do you know the name of that person you said fought well?”
At my question, Lü Bu tilted his head, thinking for a moment.
“What did they say… Guan Yu and Zhang Fei? Probably them.”
“Really?”
It wasn’t surprising that Liu Bei would be here for what could be considered the final battle of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Then, in this place, there might be others like Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, or Sun Jian. Honestly, I wasn’t too keen on meeting them.
“We should move quickly too! Everyone is scouring the city, claiming they’ll catch Zhang Jue!”
A competition for merit? I wasn’t particularly interested in joining. But looking at Lü Bu’s sparkling eyes, it felt wrong to just ignore it for lack of interest.
“Let’s go then.”
“Good! Let’s head to the government office!”
I shook my head at Lü Bu’s suggestion.
“There’s no need to go there.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Zhang Liao is already there.”
Zhang Liao was the first to break through the defending force at the city gate and enter the city. Leading the troops I brought from Bing Province, he likely arrived at the government office by now. The only people around me were Seo Ye and Lü Bu.
“What do we do then?”
“He might be hiding somewhere unexpected. We should search those kinds of places.”
For some reason, I didn’t think Zhang Jue would be at the government office. Judging from my meeting with him, Zhang Jue had a unique way of thinking, likely hiding in a spot that would catch us off-guard.
Lü Bu, curious, asked, “Where would that be?”
I turned towards a cluster of houses.
“An ordinary house?”
“Let’s start searching, though…”
As Lü Bu, with his halberd slung over his shoulder, entered the residential area, he commented, “There are too many houses!”
“Well, Geolrok is a large city.”
More people mean more houses, and a ‘large’ city means a tremendous number of houses. It felt like searching for a needle in a desert.
“Don’t worry. We’ll find him eventually.”
Zhang Jue couldn’t have escaped unnoticed with the city under lockdown. If we search, we’ll find him eventually. Lü Bu seemed a bit sulky at my relaxed attitude.
“Aren’t you being too laid-back about this?”
“Are you worried someone else might take the credit?”
“No, it’s not that!”
As I playfully tapped on the blushing Lü Bu’s head and laughed, a girl approached me.
“Are you Jeongryeong?”
“Yes? That’s me.”
Surprised by the sudden appearance of this mysterious figure, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment. She looked plain but still beautiful. Naturally, my guard went up. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that beautiful women always mean trouble. Her appearing right as I entered the residential area made me even more suspicious.
“There’s no need to be so cautious. I’m just inviting you to our house.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We’ve prepared a small gift as well.”
If she’s offering gifts, there’s no reason to refuse. Smiling faintly, she waited for my response. I nodded.
“Let’s go then. Lead the way.”
Lü Bu looked puzzled.
“You’re trusting her words?”
“It’s too sloppy for a trap…”
Answering Lü Bu’s question, I followed the girl, saying, “Even if it’s a trap, there’s no reason to specifically target me.” I led a small force compared to the entire Han army. Even if they succeeded, there wouldn’t be much merit in targeting me.
“Hmm… maybe.”
Convinced by my explanation, Lü Bu seemed to accept it.
“Why don’t you say something too?”
Lü Bu, frustrated by Seo Ye’s continuous silence, tried to engage him in conversation.
“Do you only talk with him? You ignore everyone else.”
“…”
“Hey!”
“…”
“Seo Ye!”
“…”
“Really strange! Try talking to him!”
Annoyed by Seo Ye’s consistent silence, Lü Bu looked at me with fiery eyes. I shrugged and spoke.
“Seo Ye?”
“Yes.”
“Aack!!!”
Lü Bu stomped his feet in frustration as Seo Ye responded immediately to me. Following the girl, we arrived at an ordinary-looking house, indistinguishable from others in the neighborhood.
“You might get lost, so please follow closely from here.”
The house didn’t seem big enough to get lost in, but as I entered, I understood her words. As soon as we stepped in, Lü Bu furrowed his brow.
“It feels like I’m walking into a trap. What kind of house is this?”
The girl leading the way replied, “We’ve made some preparations to turn away uninvited guests.”
“Wow. You know you’re making yourselves look more suspicious, right?”
Unfazed by Lü Bu’s comment, the girl just smiled gently.
“We’ve arrived.”
Reaching our destination, the girl turned to face
me.
“Is it just me who needs to go in?”
“No. Feel free to enter as you wish.”
Opening the closed door, the girl bowed.
“I hope you have a good conversation.”
As the door opened, a familiar figure appeared inside. Draped in long, broad clothes and wearing a distinctive hat. A simple yellow mask with only the eyes cut out.
“Eh?”
Lü Bu looked dumbfounded at the familiar figure. The very person who had caused chaos across the realm was now sitting right in front of us.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Great Sage Zhang Jue, the leader of the Yellow Turbans, greeted us. I looked around the room to check if anyone else was present. It was just us and Zhang Jue.
This was a prime opportunity to claim significant merit. Faced with this unexpected chance, Lü Bu appeared uncertain. “…Is this really an opportunity?” Despite Lü Bu’s comment, Zhang Jue remained calm and seated, showing no sign of surprise.
Lü Bu looked at me, as if asking what to do. I was just as perplexed about how to proceed. We stood there without action for a moment, then Zhang Jue broke the silence. “Shouldn’t you do what you came here for?”
His demeanor almost seemed to invite me to take his life, and I hesitated. “Hmm… The gift you meant was…”
“Yes. My life,” he said.
It was a shocking gift indeed. “The head of the rebel leader who plunged the world into chaos would surely be a grand gift,” I mused aloud.
“Yes, but…” Zhang Jue looked at me with an unreadable expression behind his mask.
All I had to do was walk up to a man offering no resistance and take his head. However, a nagging doubt stopped me. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
Zhang Jue, who I had met only twice including this moment, had been strangely kind to me. On our first meeting, he came with an army of 150,000 and said he wouldn’t be hostile towards me. Now, he was readily facing death, offering his life as a merit for me.
Zhang Jue remained silent at my question, so I pressed further. “If you don’t tell me, I won’t budge from here.”
After a moment of silence, Zhang Jue slowly spoke. “…A world where people can live as humans.”
“What?” I asked, surprised.
“That’s the world you want to create, isn’t it?”
How did he know? That was something I had shared in the distant past, only with my mother.
Remembering how Zhang Jue had looked at the sky as if foreseeing the future, I nodded.
“I’ve always been able to read the heavens, albeit faintly,” he admitted.
“So, that’s what you were doing then…” I mused.
“Though it’s not perfect, and I can’t always predict when or where something will happen, I often need to interpret what I see,” he explained.
Zhang Jue looked directly at me. “Sometimes, when I see a person, I can foresee a destiny-like scene.”
He recalled our earlier conversation. “I remember your words about wanting a peaceful world.”
“So you knew…” I was stunned.
“If my life can aid someone like you, how could I not be happy?” he said.
Zhang Jue was willing to offer his life to help me. “I think I’ve explained enough. Now, do what you must,” he urged, bowing his head, waiting for my action.
I unsheathed my sword and approached Zhang Jue, who kept his head down. “One last question,” I said.
“Yes?”
“Do you truly want to help people?”
Sensing his final moment, Zhang Jue slowly responded, “…Yes.”
I looked at Lü Bu and Seo Ye, who silently left the decision to me. I smiled slightly. “Then I won’t kill you.”
Clang! I dropped my sword and knelt to face Zhang Jue, who looked up at me in surprise.
“Didn’t you say the Han Dynasty is collapsing?”
“Yes…”
“Right. It probably will.” I acknowledged the inevitable downfall I had previously failed to accept. The Yellow Turban Rebellion was just the beginning. The corruption and inability of the court would lead to the rise of warlords, each claiming independent power. The Han Dynasty would eventually be torn apart, leading to a period of prolonged warfare.
“So, in an era where might makes right, what happens to the powerless?” I pondered the dark age ahead.
I wasn’t extraordinary. Just an ordinary person who sympathized with the unfortunate. “But that’s not what I want.”
I aspired for a peaceful world, knowing I couldn’t change anything significant. “I just want to live a carefree life.”
“Yet, what use is such a life in this world, where suffering and death happen right before my eyes?”
I turned to Zhang Jue. “If you truly want to help people, live and heal the sick. You’re one of the few skilled physicians of this time.”
“It was your brother who led me here, right? I’ll help you both escape.”
Zhang Jue hesitated. “If it’s discovered you spared me, you won’t be safe either.”
“I stopped worrying about that a long time ago,” I declared. “Let’s go.”
Zhang Jue nodded slowly. “…Alright.”
