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

Chapter 39. Sima Lang

Time passed steadily.

Zhao Yun took on the role of training captain, my brothers trained day by day, and I gathered herbs.

Thanks to this, they had shaped up quite a bit, and my brothers were now fully disciplined.

However, incidents always occurred suddenly.

“Sima family?”

I tilted my head while reading the letter sent by Zhang Yang.

To summarize the content:

Due to the sudden collapse of the coalition, the chaos in Henei Commandery, which Dong Zhuo’s army had originally plundered, worsened, and Zhang Yang sent troops to suppress it as much as possible.

However, it was difficult to quickly restore order to the battlefield, which had already tipped in favor of the enemy, and Henei Commandery remained in turmoil.

During this time, a man named Sima Lang came seeking refuge with his household, and Zhang Yang agreed to help them evacuate.

She requested my assistance in escorting them.

It seemed that there were several aristocratic families also fleeing, and she didn’t have enough manpower.

Could it be that the coalition collapsed faster than it did in history, resulting in this outcome?

Not knowing much about Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I wasn’t sure if this followed the original historical events.

However, since I had already made significant contributions in the coalition, I assumed that the future might have changed somewhat.

“Orabeoni, what will you do?”

Haryeong, who was feeding me snacks by my side, asked.

Even as I ate the snacks she gave me, I let out a long sigh.

“I’m not sure.”

“The Sima family is a prestigious one, right? It wouldn’t hurt to build ties with them.”

“Have you ever seen me care about such things?”

I didn’t care whether they were from a prestigious family or not.

The problem was that the person requesting this was Zhang Yang.

No matter what, Zhang Yang had taken me in as a guest and treated me well.

Although it was unintentional, she had also created an opportunity for me to make a name for myself in the coalition.

I owed her a favor.

Moreover, innocent people were losing their lives in Henei Commandery.

In other words, this was about saving lives.

“Well, there’s no reason not to go.”

I could repay a favor and save lives, a win-win situation.

“So, are you okay with it?”

I asked as I continued chewing on the snacks, looking at Zhao Yun, who sat politely in front of me.

“What do you mean?”

“This is our task. You don’t have to get involved.”

“Since I have already decided to serve you as my master, I will do my duty. Please give me your orders.”

Zhao Yun spoke in a firm tone.

Why does she live so rigidly?

Well, I couldn’t stop her if she wanted to come along.

After all, she had already become part of our group and was called “Captain” by my brothers, effectively becoming the leader.

There wouldn’t be any issue.

“Then gather the others. We head to Henei Commandery at once.”

I patted my waist and stood up.

Baekrang, Unsam, and Zhao Yun also stood up at the same time.

Especially Baekrang, who seemed excited to be heading out for the first time in a while, his eyes sparkling.

“We’re finally heading back into the world! This is my debut in the martial world!”

That’s not exactly how that term is used.

We were just going to help and then return, so why was he so excited?

“Stop spouting nonsense and get ready.”

“Yes, sir!”

Baekrang disappeared in an instant, and the others quickly gathered the troops.

Thus, we headed to Henei Commandery.

***

After several days of travel, we arrived at Wen County.

Since Zhang Yang’s forces were stationed here, it was much quieter and more peaceful than other places.

In fact, I even questioned if they really needed help.

I wiped the blood from my sword and walked in slowly.

“Doesn’t seem like they’re too busy, does it?”

“Is that so?”

Zhang Yang, the Governor of Shangdang, was personally in Wen County.

She greeted me with a faint smile.

“However, you were very much needed.”

“What?”

“Let’s put the talk aside for now. It’s been a while since we last met. How about coming inside first?”

Zhang Yang forcefully pulled me into a nearby building.

Inside, there were tea and snacks already prepared, and the room was neatly arranged.

“And who might this be?”

“This is Zhao Zilong of Changshan.”

Zhao Yun, who had been by my side the entire trip, respectfully clasped her hands.

“Hmm, I see.”

Zhang Yang still smiled faintly. Then she slowly spoke.

“Is this person your lover?”

“…What?!”

Zhao Yun, completely taken aback, looked at me with her mouth agape.

“What nonsense are you spouting right after we meet?”

“Well, you never replied to any of my letters.”

Though the corners of her lips were still curved in a smile, her eyes had turned cold.

It seemed she was a bit upset.

Why is this high-ranking official acting like a child?

“We’re not people who will never meet again, right?”

“But we’re also close enough to exchange letters.”

“It’s better to meet in person rather than waste time writing letters, don’t you think?”

“Meet in person…”

“The longer you hold off on eating something delicious, the better it tastes, right?”

“Something delicious…”

Zhang Yang rested her chin in her hand and seemed to contemplate for a moment before slowly leaning back.

“…I see. As expected of Unryong! You had a plan all along. But I’m not quite ready yet…”

She was clearly misunderstanding things again, trembling as if lost in strange thoughts.

“Enough of this. Why did you call me here?”

If I had known it would be like this, I would have rather spent more time gathering herbs or sparring with Zhao Yun.

What was all this nonsense?

Of course, helping the innocent along the way wasn’t bad, but still.

“In truth, while I also wanted to see you, someone else wishes to meet you.”

Zhang Yang tapped lightly on the thin partition behind her.

“Yes, Governor.”

The man who peeked in through the opened partition was the one I had seen before—Sugo.

“Sugo, bring him in.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After their brief exchange, I heard footsteps approaching from outside.

The steps grew closer until they stopped just outside the door. Then, the door opened, revealing a man who looked like a refined scholar.

“Greetings. It’s an honor to meet you, Lord of Manbo County.”

He had the appearance of a true gentleman. His fair skin and tidy attire fit the image perfectly.

I’m not too fond of these types.

A person like me, who has lived like a beggar, can’t exactly sit down with a scholar.

“I am Unryong.”

Still, I maintained some semblance of etiquette.

When I clasped my hands, he returned the gesture with equal politeness, bowing slightly.

“I am Sima Lang, the eldest son of the Sima family. My courtesy name is Boda.”

I leaned over to Zhang Yang and whispered.

– “I don’t know this guy.”

– “Yes, I’m aware of that. Now, please step back a bit…!”

Before things could get any noisier, I moved away from Zhang Yang and sat down again.

“And who is this person?”

“Oh, this is my lieutenant.”

There was no need to introduce Zhao Yun as my disciple, so I simply referred to her as my lieutenant.

For some reason, Zhao Yun sat up even straighter.

“I am Zhao Zilong, Lieutenant under Lord Unryong of Manbo County.”

Where did the “Zhao Zilong of Changshan” introduction go?

Suddenly, her self-introduction had changed.

“I see. Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

Sima Lang took a seat in the spot Zhang Yang had apparently prepared in advance.

“To meet the hero of the coalition forces in person is truly an honor for our family.”

He said this as he raised his teacup.

I shuddered.

It was fine if I bragged about myself, but it made me uncomfortable when someone else praised me so grandly.

“I’m not worthy of such a grand title.”

“If you are not a hero, who else would be worthy of the name? Please, don’t be modest.”

Aren’t prestigious family sons supposed to be arrogant and power-hungry?

He was being too kind, and it was giving me chills.

I cleared my throat and quickly changed the topic.

“So, what is the reason you wished to meet me?”

“That was simply a personal desire of mine. It was not something I specifically requested. The Governor graciously arranged this meeting.”

So she just wanted to see me herself?

When my gaze turned toward Zhang Yang, she started sweating profusely and quickly averted her eyes.

“Anyway, Lord Boda came to me because of you, Unryong.”

Sima Lang smiled awkwardly at this.

Sima Lang had long foreseen the impending bloodshed in Henei Commandery.

He had initially planned to move to Xuzhou, far from the turmoil of central China, but his younger brother had persuaded him otherwise.

His brother suggested that, since the renowned hero of the coalition forces was already by the Governor’s side, they could evacuate to a safer place nearby rather than make a long journey.

As it turned out, the coalition dissolved even faster than they had expected, and Dong Zhuo’s remnants had become increasingly aggressive.

So, they had come to Zhang Yang to address the immediate danger.

“In truth, it is my younger brother who wishes to meet you, Lord Unryong.”

“Your younger brother?”

“Yes, my beloved younger brother.”

Sima Lang’s expression softened as if he were talking about a cherished daughter.

“Despite being so young, he is incredibly intelligent and greatly adored by our family head. And he’s quite adorable too… I’m rambling.”

He laughed bashfully and scratched the back of his head.

“However, our plan was thrown off as you had already left by the time we arrived. But thankfully, the kind Governor accepted us, and we found refuge.”

So they joined Zhang Yang’s forces because of me? What in the world is going on? Was I that famous?

Seeing the bewildered look on my face, Zhang Yang smiled warmly.

“There is no one in the central plains who doesn’t know of you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s quite true.”

Sima Lang also smiled kindly at Zhang Yang’s words.

Then, he stood up.

“I came today simply to introduce myself, so I’ll take my leave for now. Next time, I’ll formally invite you to our family estate.”

With that, Sima Lang quickly departed.

“…Then, I shall take my leave as well…”

Zhang Yang also rose to her feet, intending to open the door.

But I immediately shut the door and grabbed her with both arms, preventing her from leaving.

“Now, now, why did you tell such ridiculous lies?”

“…I-It wasn’t a lie…!”

Zhang Yang shook her head fiercely. I leaned in closer. She was still vulnerable to physical contact like this.

Alright, let’s settle this today once and for all.

With that thought, I moved in even closer to Zhang Yang.

***

Meanwhile, Zhao Yun, watching the two of them entangled, fell into deep thought.

“…”

And then she saw it.

The chilling smile of Zhang Yang, who was pretending to be scared.

Her flushed cheeks, breathing heavily.

…

In the end, Zhao Yun decided to pretend not to know.

Instead, she offered a prayer for her master, who seemed destined for a difficult future.

In all sincerity.