It Wasn’t a Martial Arts World, but the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 38. Sparring, and Growth (3)

“Too sloppy! Move faster!”

It had already been a week since Zhao Yun joined our forces.

During that time, she had taken charge of training, leading the soldiers with a firm hand.

At first, the younger soldiers cheered and applauded the arrival of what they thought was a cute girl. But the reality…

“Archers, move to your targets! If I see such poor shooting today, you won’t get away with it!”

“You there! What are you lying down for? If you have time to rest, you have time to run another step!”

“You’re too slow with your formations! How can you respond to enemy movements like this? If an army of less than five hundred is this slow to form ranks, how will you ever execute battle tactics?”

Zhao Yun’s training regimen was Spartan beyond imagination.

By the end of each session, the younger soldiers were crawling on all fours.

“…Is this really okay?”

“Master, you’re far too soft. An army with poor discipline has no future. How can you be so lenient?”

I wasn’t that lenient…

Just look at him—he looks half-dead already.

As I watched one of the younger soldiers, sprawled out on the ground, Zhao Yun gripped her spear and slowly approached with her eyes wide open.

“What are you doing?”

“Uh, um…”

The soldier, upon seeing Zhao Yun approach, stammered and forced a creepy smile.

“I don’t feel so good…”

“Get down.”

The soldier looked at me with eyes full of desperation, like a puppy that had been abandoned.

Sorry, kid.

There’s nothing I can do.

She’s terrifying.

As I avoided eye contact, the soldier’s expression crumbled as if the world had ended.

And then—whack!

“Listen carefully.”

Whack!

“From now on, I’ll be overseeing your training in place of Master.”

Whack!

“If you have any complaints, feel free to come to me.”

Whack!

“However, during training hours, you will follow my orders. If you have issues, bring them up after training.”

Whack!

Without even a glance at the soldier who was now clutching his rear in pain, Zhao Yun led the others back to the training field.

The expressions on the younger soldiers’ faces were priceless.

They looked as if they’d seen a ghost.

“H-hey, are you okay?”

I quietly approached the soldier, who had his head buried in the ground.

“…Hell no, I’m not okay.”

Tears welled up in his eyes as he struggled to stand.

“But there’s nothing I can do. If I don’t do what she says, I’ll be dead when Unsam gets to me.”

The reason none of them dared to protest against Zhao Yun was largely because of Unsam.

For reasons I couldn’t fully understand, two days after Zhao Yun started leading the training, Unsam—who usually had a carefree attitude—spoke seriously.

“If anyone dares to defy Captain Zhao’s orders, I’ll personally punish them on behalf of my brother.”

I don’t know when she became the “captain,” but Unsam’s words were so intense that the mood immediately darkened.

I turned away from the soldier, who was still clutching his rear in pain, and looked over at Zhao Yun, who was now back to training the others.

Unsam was sweating profusely as he trained alongside them.

***

This took place less than two days after Zhao Yun had joined Unryong’s forces.

“Young lady, are you alright?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Being around guys like us.”

Unsam, holding a bottle of alcohol, glanced over at Zhao Yun, who was seated cross-legged.

He appeared to be nearing the point of drunkenness. His shoulders swayed, and his eyes wavered.

Of course, Zhao Yun, who had her eyes closed and was focused on circulating her qi, couldn’t see his state.

“If you’re just going to be drunk, please take it somewhere else.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Unsam sat down a little distance away from her.

It was a quiet night.

Moonlight filtered through the leaves, and the silhouettes of the forest were faintly visible in the darkness.

Unsam looked at the gently swaying branches and spoke.

“I heard you’re staying here to learn martial arts from my brother. How’s that going?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Zhao Yun had spent all day trying to sense qi, but she had made no progress.

She hadn’t even begun to feel the faintest hint of energy.

Of course, it had only been two days, so there was no need to rush.

Thus, Zhao Yun continued to meditate in the early morning, seated cross-legged as she was now.

“I trust my brother more than anyone, but I’m not sure if this ‘martial arts’ even exists. It could be a waste of time, so are you still planning to stay?”

“Yes.”

Zhao Yun answered without hesitation.

Unsam looked at her in disbelief.

“What? Weren’t you here to learn martial arts?”

“That’s just a bonus.”

She slowly opened her eyes, and the moonlight reflected in her blue irises, creating an air of mystery around her.

“A bonus?”

“Before I answer that, let me ask you something. Why did you come to me?”

“You pulled a sword on my brother, didn’t you? As his younger sibling, it’s only right that I make sure you’re not some kind of lunatic.”

Unsam scratched the back of his head and continued.

“My brother’s always been like that. Rough on the outside, but he’s got a kind heart. That’s why he’s taken in over two hundred beggars. Some have tried to betray him, and some came with the intent to rob us from the start.”

Repaying kindness is an obvious duty. However, the weak often fight, steal, and kill each other because they can’t follow even that simple rule.

Thus, Unsam, Baekrang, and Haryeong had quietly executed anyone who had harbored treacherous thoughts.

After all, there is no such thing as a society ruled purely by benevolence.

“I see.”

Zhao Yun nodded.

“So, if martial arts weren’t your goal, what is?”

“A true hero draws people to them. Whether they intend it or not, people always gather around heroes.”

Zhao Yun released her meditation pose, using her spear to help her stand.

“It’s nothing special. I was just drawn to Master’s humble ideals.”

“Ah, that.”

Unsam chuckled, and his eyes began to sparkle with amusement.

“He called it the ‘principles of Jianghu,’ right?”

“Yes, so you’re aware.”

“We’re following him for the same reason.”

Before his brother took him in, Unsam was just another starving child.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? For someone so strong to hold on to such childish ideals. How could we not follow him?”

“Yes, Master is strong.”

Zhao Yun had never experienced defeat in all of Changshan.

She had never imagined that she would one day be toyed with so easily.

“Right? See, I was wrong about you. You’ve got an eye for people.”

Unsam clapped his knees and laughed heartily as he continued talking about his brother.

Zhao Yun stared at him for a moment.

“There’s something I don’t understand, though.”

Finally, she asked.

“How did someone like him end up hiding in this forest? I heard he played a significant role in the coalition.”

“…”

Unsam’s laughter stopped. He lowered his head as if he were ashamed.

“That’s…”

“If it’s difficult to talk about, you don’t have to. After all, I’m still an outsider.”

“…”

Unsam closed his eyes tightly and took a swig from his bottle.

“It’s nothing much.”

He eventually spoke, recounting the events that had unfolded within the coalition. He didn’t leave out a single detail.

Zhao Yun listened in silence, without any interruptions.

“We’re no longer children. My brother always told us that if we were going to wield a sword, we had to be prepared to risk our lives. No matter the cause, we’re still taking lives.”

However, what had happened in the coalition was different from anything they had faced before.

Unsam had seen his brother covered in blood, fighting desperately for their lives.

He had witnessed his brother’s frantic cries as he threw himself into the fray, trying to protect his comrades.

“We don’t care if we die.”

Yes, they didn’t care.

It wasn’t just Unsam who felt this way. Baekrang, Haryeong, and the others—all of them likely shared this sentiment.

“But we can’t let our brother die. No matter what, we can’t watch him die before us.”

Unsam clenched his teeth.

“And so, I ended up whining to him. I swore I’d follow him for life, and then I turned around and spewed that nonsense!”

Unsam gulped down more alcohol, his breathing ragged.

Zhao Yun, still expressionless, watched him in silence.

“You shouldn’t have said that.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Finally, Zhao Yun spoke.

“Now I understand a little better.”

“…Understand what?”

“You’re weak. I’m sure everyone here is weak. How long will you hide behind his kindness?”

Unsam remained silent, unable to respond.

“There are still many children in this world starving to death. Officials bleed the people dry for their own greed, and the powerful desire even more. Those without suffer the most.”

Zhao Yun continued.

“And so, I picked up the spear to at least protect this small region. But still, the people’s grievances never end. And yet, few are truly aware of this.”

No matter how many heroic deeds one accomplishes, in the end, they are rewarded with titles and positions.

Their names are praised, but eventually, they become monsters just like those they fought.

That cycle created the current Han Dynasty.

“It’s a truly unfair world.”

Zhao Yun sighed deeply.

“But Master is different. Though I haven’t known him long, I can see that he understands this. He knows things can’t stay the way they are. He’s just lost, because there’s something he must protect.”

Those who have something to protect are weak.

They constantly live in fear, watching out for threats to what they hold dear.

That is the burden of those in power.

“If you don’t want to see him die before you, become stronger. Train harder, grow stronger, until you can stand by his side. Put down that bottle and pick up your sword. Swing it, and swing it again.”

“…”

“Don’t just follow behind him. Don’t just rely on him. Don’t lower your head.”

Zhao Yun locked eyes with Unsam.

Her gaze was cold as ice.

“Stand tall. Stand beside him, and share the view he sees.”

“Share the view…”

“That is the duty of those who follow a hero.”

Without another word, Zhao Yun turned her back to him.

“I apologize. As just an outsider, I’ve overstepped.”

“…No.”

Unsam rose to his feet as well.

“So, how long are you planning to stay here?”

“I’m not sure.”

Zhao Yun smiled faintly.

“Perhaps until I see the world Master envisions.”

“Well, looks like you’ve fallen for him at first sight too.”

“…F-fallen for him? That’s ridiculous!”

“My brother’s pretty handsome, you know. Clean him up a bit, and he could break some hearts.”

“Th-that’s not what I meant…!”

Zhao Yun gripped her spear tightly, trembling with frustration.

Sensing that he was about to get hit, Unsam wisely chose to stop teasing her and shrugged.

“You’re pretty strong, from what I saw. You’re in charge of our training, right?”

“…Yes.”

Zhao Yun took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

“Then, that makes you our new training captain.”

“…I don’t recall receiving such a title.”

“Whatever. Let’s not be so stiff about it.”

Unsam clasped his hands together and bowed.

“In any case, please make us stronger. Strong enough to follow our brother. Make us really strong.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“I don’t care. Even if it kills me. If anyone refuses to follow your lead, I’ll deal with them myself. As long as it means we can follow our brother, I’ll do anything.”

“…”

Zhao Yun turned and began to walk away.

“I never intended to go easy on you.”

And so, for a week, hellish training began.

Then, a letter arrived from Zhang Yang.

It was news about the Sima family, now isolated in Henei.