Blood Moon Hunters - Chapter 282

“The real topic?” Zhao Changge was rather baffled.

“I brought you here not to listen to my adventures. More importantly, I want you to strive harder and bear responsibilities after learning my deeds,” Zhao Yun said with grave import.

“Please guide me, General Zilong,” Zhao Changge asked humbly.

Zhao Yun nodded slightly. “Here is where I defend against enemy incursions. Responsibility means you must remember this: wealth, honors and the pursuit of immortality aren’t the most important things.”

“As a Hua Xia person, you must remember, we only exist with the Hua Xia state. That is true no matter how many enemies we have in our homeland, or what important deeds we have yet to accomplish.”

“Even unifying our land isn’t as important as defending our territories. Promise me, if an enemy attacks Hua Xia again, you must challenge him with the spear in your hand!”

After saying this, he threw the dragon gut silver spear to Zhao Changge. The latter took the spear and slowly twirled it in his hands. This refined spear gave a low hum, assenting to Zilong’s passionate words.

It was still gleaming with a faint silvery light. It appeared to be willing to follow Zilong again, if the latter gave the order to defend Hua Xia’s lands.

Zhao Changge also felt his body consumed by a burning zeal. He took an oath. “I, Zhao Changge, swear to Heaven! If Hua Xia is again invaded by enemy tribes, I will kill them all!”

“I will do this whether or not Heaven punishes me! As long as I hold this spear, I will spend my entire life forging the Hua Xia spirit with my hot blood!”

His oath resounded through the clouds into the heavens. A ray of light flashed across the sky. His oath had been accepted.

“Bravo! This is how men from Hua Xia ought to be!” Zhao Yun cried, inwardly consoled.

Then he surveyed the surroundings. “In the past, I, Zilong, constructed Tu City to defend against Qiang enemies. This man I brought here shall swear to defend Hua Xia with his life!”

With that, hot tears welled in his eyes. He suddenly knelt down and turned towards the direction of Sichuan. He said in a pained voice, “Master! Premier! Although I am dead, my heart is still alive. My resoluteness has not died!”

“Hua Xia is now unified again. My remnant spirit is still alive. I will do my best to defend this country. This man I brought here is my heir. He, too, will battle by my side.”

“We will use the long spear in our hand to defend this land, over which you have so bravely fought! Even if it means confronting 10,000 enemies. Even if I have only one man and a steed left, we will sacrifice our lives to defend Hua Xia!”

“Master! Premier! I miss you two so much. I yearn to follow you again. If but once… only once…”

Zhao Changge was behind him, watching this scene silently. Who would have thought the legendary Victorious General Zhao Zilong would kneel here, declaring his ambitions with a tear-stained face?

Zilong knelt for his master and premier, as well as for this land. He declared in a sobbing voice his willingness to sacrifice his last drop of blood for Hua Xia. He would expend the last whiff of his grand ambitions for her.

As the faint moonlight shone on his silvery armor, he appeared so utterly forlorn and lonely.

Zhao Changge watched the silhouette of this hero. He only saw his endless dejection and sorrow, as well as his firm resolution. His nose tingled and he quietly wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes.

He advanced and knelt down beside General Zilong. In his heart, the image of this hero loomed even larger, becoming even more unattainable and forlorn.

His dauntless heart was intent on subjugating this troubled time. The long spear in his hand would quell the land. In his unwavering loyalty, he saved his master’s son. He shook heaven and earth at the Battle of Changban. His silvery spear and white horse subdued the world. His lofty deeds were recorded in annals.

Zilong, oh Zilong! Zhao Zilong from Mount Chang!

These five words paid tribute to his loyalty and faithfulness. It also proclaimed his power, as well as his firm resolution to protect Hua Xia.

Changge and Zilong knelt here for a long time, gazing at the mighty land. Everything was expressed without a spoken word.

At another location, Lyu Hao too had arrived at his destination. There was a grave there. He stared at it from a distance, the double-bladed halberd inside his body stirring restlessly. The grave seemed to be Lyu Bu’s.

“Could General Lyu Bu be looking for me?” Lyu Hao asked himself.

“Boohoo…”

Suddenly the sobs of a woman resounded around him. Her sobs were full of a heartbreaking sorrow. One could tell that they were from a peerless beauty.

Lyu Hao knitted his brows, going after the source of the voice with a perplexed expression. The grave was just ahead. He clapped his hand on his head and walked slowly over.

“Ah!”

He could not believe his eyes at all. His eyeballs almost dropped to the ground.

Before Lyu Bu’s grave, knelt a ravishing beauty. She was sobbing loudly. Although she was weeping, her appearance was still so astoundingly beautiful.

Almost as if the moon in the sky would be covered by dark clouds, shamed by her looks.

“What bewitchment! Diao Chan can indeed shame the moon!” Lyu Hao remarked sheepishly.

As he started there, Diao Chan seemed to sense something. She immediately turned back her head and asked in shock, “Why is there his power in your body?”

“Oh! I…”

Lyu Hao did not quite know how to explain. As he stared at the grief-stricken beauty, he felt ashamed not to have answered her. He could only summon the double-bladed halberd.

“Clang!”

Glints of fiery sparks. They instantly coalesced into the double-bladed halberd, materializing in Lyu Hao’s hand.

“This is my husband’s double-bladed halberd!”

Diao Chan instantly widened her eyes and dashed towards Lyu Hao. She began to caress that halberd fondly and carefully, hot tears welling in her eyes.

Drip!

A drop of her crystalline tears fell on the halberd. It slowly seeped in.

“Buzz!”

Immediately after that, the double-bladed halberd started to glow with an intense light. A powerful, brutal spiritual strength surged out.

“Whoosh!”

The spiritual strength slowly condensed into a human figure, clad mightily from head to toes in armor. The resolute face and heroic demeanor belonged to none other than the Flying General, Lyu Bu!

“Diao Chan,” Lyu Bu addressed her slowly.

“My lord!”

Diao Chan immediately threw herself into his arms and started sobbing. “My lord! It’s really you! I have finally seen you again! Do you know how much I miss you? Boohoo…”

The rims of Lyu Bu’s eyes also turned red as he listened to her. He clasped his beloved tightly in his arms and said, “Chan, I’m sorry!”

Lyu Hao on one side started to retreat sensibly, leaving them to themselves. Lyu Bu’s apology might seem simple, but it encompassed all the helplessness in this man’s life.

“My lord, I have waited your return for a millennium. I always believe you will come back and see me. I am indeed right!” Diao Chan sobbed.

Lyu Bu fondled her head and said, “Chan, it’s been hard on you. I’m useless and have made you suffer. If Heaven gave me another chance, I would not have gone to battle.”

“Wealth and honors, the state and her lands, lofty ambitions… all these cannot compare with one-millionth of you! I was foolish, so foolish!”

“I finally understand that you are the most precious treasure in my life!”

He lamented plaintively. His case was a classic elucidation of the old saying, “Even heroes will fall to a beauty’s charms.” Even a powerful general like Lyu Bu had his sentimental side.

Diao Chan raised her head, gently caressing his handsome, resolute face. “No, my lord, even if I cannot stay by your side forever, I am honored to have been your wife.”

“Besides, I have also made use of you. But you still remain as devoted to me as ever. I am the one who has let you down…”

Lyu Bu heard her and shook his head. “If that was your intention, I would willingly be used by you. Even if this meant going against the world! I would do it willingly, without the slightest regret!”

“My lord, since you are willing to forgive me and stay by my side, I regard this life to be complete. Promise me, don’t leave me again. Even if our spirits disperse, we must head for our next rebirth in Hades together.”

Diao Chan said slowly, burying her head into his chest.

“Great! As long as you stay by my side, I am willing to die at once!” Lyu Bu guffawed.

“Don’t speak such nonsense!” Diao Chan covered his mouth and chided him.

“Alright…”

Lyu Bu put his hand on his head and showed remorse. He replied sheepishly, “I… was wrong. Since you’re staying by my side, I can’t die so suddenly.”

“We will stay together for life, until our spirits expended themselves. We will never part again. Even on the Yellow Spring Road, I will lead you by your hand. I won’t let anyone bully you!”

“Yes, if my lord is willing, I will stay by your side forever, even until death. No matter what troubles or blessings befall us, I will never part from you again!” Diao Chan also gave a smile.

Her smile was so ravishing that it could launch a war in troubled times. Even the moon, after peeping out from the clouds, would feel shamed by her beauty again.

And the two of them sat on the ground, recounting to each other their solitude in the past millennium. Lyu Hao walked a few kilometers away and lay down supine on the ground.

“I wonder where Changge is. Is he asleep? Has he encountered any dangers?” Lyu Hao asked himself, facing heaven.

Lyu Bu seemed to remember something and said to Diao Chan, “By the way, that lad’s my heir. Since he helped us meet again, we must offer him our sincerest thanks.”

“Yes, he is our great benefactor. We must repay him lavishly. I will listen to your every arrangement, my lord,” Diao Chan said gently.

“Wait for me here and don’t wander about. I will be… right back. It will only take a moment!”

Lyu Bu spoke candidly. He was afraid Diao Chan would be gone when he returned.

“Yes, I understand. I won’t even move a muscle. You had better hurry.” Diao Chan smiled.

“Haha…”

Lyu Bu touched his head and grinned sheepishly. Then he turned around and sprinted forward.

Lyu Hao lay supine on the grass. He raised his right hand slowly to grab at the night sky.

Then he slowly put down his hand and asked himself, “Is a night sky without any visible stars really a night sky?”

“Lad!”

Suddenly, as he was still lost in a daze, Lyu Bu arrived from behind. He quickly got up and said, “Senior… you’re done with reminiscing so soon?”

Lyu Bu heard him and shook his head. “It certainly can’t take so short a time, right? You let Chan and I meet again. You are my benefactor. I’m here to repay my debt of gratitude.”

“What? Senior, you taught me the Overpowering Halberd and also guided me. I’m already indebted to you. These things are what I ought to do. You don’t need to repay me.” Lyu Hao vigorously shook his head.

“That’s not right. The person I care most about is Chan. You have helped me so much. How can I not repay you?” Lyu Bu frowned.

“There’s really no need to. Ah…”

Lyu Hao was still thinking of declining when Lyu Bu grabbed him. “No need for words. I will surely repay you this debt. But since my body is dead, there’s nothing I can give you.”

“How about this: I will pass on all my halberd skills to you. Then I will teach you how to inspire more aggression in yourself, as well as the halberd strokes I created myself!”

“But that will consume your primordial spirit. Just let me comprehend myself. Miss Diao Chan needs your company. You shouldn’t exert your primordial spirit.” Lyu Hao frowned.

Lyu Bu heard him and immediately knocked him on the head. He said, “Enough of such nonsense! I know how much of my lifespan I should expend. Just accept the gift!”

Then, he injected spirit minds into Lyu Hao’s mind sea. He explained to him why each stroke ought to be executed in a certain way, as well as what else he needed to take note.

After retracting his spirit mind, he said to Lyu Hao, “Remember, the Overpowering Halberd was created by the Warlord of Chu, Xiang Yu. You must execute your strokes with every inch of your strength.”

“Each stroke must be even more aggressive than the last. Each time you execute them, you must aim to unleash even more of the halberd’s power. Exert yourself to the limit, or even exceed it!”

“This is the only way your halberd can be strong, weighty and brutal. And it also helps train your aggression. When the halberd moves, so must your body and your mind. Wherever your mind attempts to go, your breath shall devour the earth!”

Lyu Hao carefully tried to comprehend the skills. After some time, he gave Lyu Bu a cupped fist salute. “Thank you, General Lyu. I will surely not shame the legacy of Warlord Xiang Yu.”

“Good.”

Lyu Bu slowly nodded. Then he took the double-bladed halberd in his hand. “I will next show you the halberd strokes I created. Watch carefully, especially the details.”

With these words, he began flourishing the halberd in his hand. The Endless Sea of Dragon, Constant Wild Waving, Heavenly New Moon, Crazy Flower Sands, Offering One’s Neck to the Spirits, Cleaving the Moon with Stars, Magic Dragon in the Sky…

He taught Lyu Hao all the halberd strokes he knew and executed them once through. But his own execution was clearly more natural and proficient than Lyu Hao’s. His aggression and power with the halberd was several times the latter’s.

There were many details which Lyu Hao had not noticed before. They might seem minuscule, yet they meant vast increments in halberd power. For example, the way how one ought to raise the elbow, or twirl the wrist.

Or how one should pivot the body, or support it on one’s feet. Such slight differences would result in an immediate boost in power.

“You’ve seen and understood everything?” Lyu Bu retracted his halberd and asked.

“Yes. Thank you for your guidance, senior.” Lyu Hao nodded.

“Very good. I will now teach you the last two strokes. These are new strokes I created for Diao Chan, the essence of the fruit of my Taoism. Watch carefully!”

Lyu Bu bellowed and then shook his halberd vigorously, immediately raising sands and pebbles all around. At the same time, he injected all his surging spiritual strength, blood vigor and vitality into the halberd, merging them into one.

“Extinction of a Floating Life!”

There was only a ferocious growl. Lyu Bu had hacked the halberd brutally down.

“Rumble!”

The double-bladed halberd merely moved without releasing its spiritual strength. The earth underneath crumbled into broken bits. Had he unleashed its full power, it might really have caused a minor earthquake.

But its range was small only when compared to the actual earthquake he might have unleashed. Had that happened, it would have been absolutely devastating—registering at least a five on the Richter scale.

“Whoosh!”

But just when the halberd was about to completely cleave down, Lyu Bu retracted his power. His retraction utterly astounded Lyu Hao. This stroke had been so aggressive, and yet he could retract it!

The more powerful the stroke, the more difficult for its executor to retract. If one forcibly retracted one’s strokes, one must pay a hefty price. Sustaining broken bones or torn tendons would be considered mild.

Yet Lyu Bu had been able to do so with ease. Not only that, he had twirled the halberd and then kept it on his waist. His entire person had spun three times rapidly with the halberd.

The powerful spiritual strength unleashed had destroyed all the grass and trees within a radius of several kilometers. Following that, he gyrated sideways into the air and cleaved down the halberd in both hands, unleashing another mighty gale of spiritual strength.

This spiritual strength smashed and toppled everything again. The wild gale released by this spiritual strength extended to beyond five kilometers away. Wherever it hit, rocks and earth crumbled, and grass and trees turned into dust.

“Clang, clang, clang!”

Following that, Lyu Bu raised the heavy halberd and brandished it wildly. Each hack would unleash an exceedingly powerful aura. He would inject all his spiritual strength, blood vigor and murderous intent into it, as well as his aggression!

These auras ravaged the front, scorching the earth into embers. Finally, he leaped into the air several hundred meters high and injected all his cultivation into that double-bladed halberd.

The halberd began to radiate with a dazzling light, like a divine flame illuminating the night sky. Countless gales of spiritual strength converged on his body. Even the spatial dimensions were distorted.

“Beauty in Troubled Times!”

He heard a long howl from Lyu Bu, followed by the illusion of a demon behind him. It too was holding a gigantic weapon, its movements like his. It also cleaved the halberd in its hands down heavily.

“Whoosh!”

Lyu Hao at the rear could sense a hot wave assailing. The surrounding temperature soared to several hundred degrees Celsius high. It was merely the repercussion of the halberd’s spiritual strength.

The gigantic double-bladed halberd really had the potential for destruction. Had it smashed the earth, it would cause massive quakes. All the raised earth would end up being scorched.

He could not guess how badly destroyed this area would have been. Perhaps it would be a real purgatory on earth.

“Boom!”

Just when the halberd was two hundred meters above ground, Lyu Bu retracted his stroke forcibly. But his stroke had been too brutal and aggressive. Even as he forcibly retracted it, it caused mighty tremors.

“Pow!”

Its spiritual strength was indeed aggressive. Even Lyu Hao had to take several steps back due to the tremors.

“Thump!”

Lyu Bu landed like a falling meteor. He held the halberd in hand, surveying the surroundings. Not an inch of land underfoot was intact. With him as the center, all the earth several kilometers around him were now scorched embers.

“Wow…” Lyu Hao widened his eyes and sighed.

He had not expected these two strokes to be so powerful as to be almost suffocating. Were they only halberd strokes? Rather, they were more like Wang Bugui’s Emperor Fist!

“This is the unique skill I created for Diao Chan, and the proudest thing in my life.” Lyu Bu turned around and proclaimed slowly.

“This must be even more powerful than the Overpowering Halberd!” Lyu Hao gasped in surprise.

“Not true. The Overpowering Halberd was created by Warlord Xiang Yu. His cultivation base was equal to the First Emperor’s. I cannot match his peerless skills.” Lyu Bu shook his head.

“But I can sense that your halberd strokes are more powerful than his. Although not quite as domineering, their power is unmatched. Such destructive power cannot be rivaled by my Overpowering Halberd.”

Lyu Hao disagreed with Lyu Bu. He thought that he had quite understood the Overpowering Halberd. In comparison, these two strokes— Extinction of a Floating Life and Beauty in Troubled Times— were definitely more powerful.

But Lyu Bu merely shook his head and laughed. He said, “Do you know why my two strokes seem more powerful? The first reason is because they comply with my way and principles. They suit me best.”

“The second reason is because these are strokes I created for Diao Chan. She is in my heart, and I can do everything, even beyond the limits of my lifelong cultivation. These were the reasons why you had been misled.”

Lyu Hao heard him and seemed roused from a dream. He said, “I see. My Big Brother also told me the best skill would be the one most suitable for oneself. As for the second reason, is it because of love?”

“Yes. The way of love means love is in your heart! It is the greatest Taoism!” Lyu Bu smiled confidently.

“I have learned much. So I too can follow these halberd strokes and create a skill most suitable for myself?” Lyu Hao asked.

“Of course you can. Feel free to create them! Your innate talent isn’t inferior to mine. and may be even superior. I believe you can create a halberd skill which will move the gods and make ghosts weep!”

Lyu Bu placed his hand on Lyu Hao’s shoulder and nodded solemnly.

“Yes, I’ve already some vague ideas in my mind. Thank you, senior!” Lyu Hao smiled.

“If that is the case, go back with me. Chan would like to thank you in person. Later, I will bring her into the double-bladed halberd.” Lyu Bu was still laughing.

Lyu Hao heard him and nodded. He used his Tao Law to repair the terrain somewhat, then executed his Innate Prana Power to moisturize the earth, doing his best to mend it.

After that, he left this place with Lyu Bu to look for Diao Chan, who had been awaiting their return.