Chapter 50: The Intelligent General

  Luo Zhen looked at Zhao Yun and said: "Your martial arts skills are unmatched, why don't you join the army and make a name for yourself, so that you can also have a wife and children?"

  Zhao Yun had no good impression of the Western Liang army and cupped his hands in respect: "General's kind intention, I appreciate it."

  Luo Zhen hesitated and said, "Zhao Yun, General knows you have always been loyal and righteous, and do not want to force you. With your martial arts skills, if you are willing to join the army and serve the imperial court, in the future, even being enfeoffed as a marquis or appointed as a general is not impossible, why don't you reconsider?"

  Zhao Yun said: "My elder brother has just passed away, I want to mourn for my elder brother, I hope the general will understand."

  Luo Zhen's mind was electrically transmitted, and using force was not suitable. Xu Chu is the best example, and in the end, it took a lot of twists and turns.

  If the entire village is threatened with death, it's likely to provoke Zhao Yun's resentment. Even if this tactic can subdue him, he will inevitably harbor a grudge in his heart. To soothe this grudge and calm his mind, who knows how much effort will be needed?

  The best way to deal with people like Xu Chu and Zhao Yun is to set up a trap and let the other party drill in, which cannot be refused.

  Lu Zheng thought for a moment, and immediately came up with an idea. He said loudly: "Since that's the case, I won't force you either. However, I have another proposal. As long as you agree, I will not make things difficult for the villagers. How about it?"

  "What proposal?"

  He pointed to Xu Chu beside him and said: "This is the house general of this general, Xu Chu, who has some bravery. If you can capture this house general within 50 rounds, this general will not say anything and leave immediately. If you cannot capture Xu Chu within 50 rounds, then follow this general as the master, and never betray each other for generations to come. What do you think?"

  Zhao Yun disapprovingly said: "Such a major matter, how can it be decided by this child's playful opinion."

  Lu Zheng waved his hand, "In that case, there's no other way. I, the general, have always admired your martial arts skills and can't bear to force you. If you don't dare accept my proposal, I'll be forced to order the army to capture you alive. At that time, once we engage in battle, all the villagers will inevitably suffer a terrible fate. You should think carefully about it."

  "This..."

  Zhoa Yun's face was even more displeased, not because he lacked confidence in his own martial arts, but because he was unwilling to be forced into action. However, seeing the tension on the villagers' faces, he couldn't help but sigh silently and say, "I agree."

  "Good!"

  Luo Zhen was overjoyed and said to Xu Zhu: "Zhong Kang, I'm leaving him to you."

  Xu Chu's eyes gleamed with a fierce light as he said in a low voice, "My lord can rest assured that I will definitely capture this scoundrel and bring him back for you to deal with."

  "Only need to fight to a draw."

  Xu Chu felt belittled and without saying another word, urged his horse on and charged out.

  Zhoa Yun also rode a thin and inferior horse, holding his spear to fight against Xu Zhu.

  Bang!

  The clash of swords and spears, the sound of gold and iron colliding, clear and resonant.

  The two horses quickly parted ways, and Xu Chu and Zhao Yun both felt a chill in their hearts, putting away their underestimating minds.

  A master's skill is evident from the very start.

  Xu Chu's strength was boundless, and he never feared a fierce battle. However, just now when his swift knife strike was parried by Zhao Yun's spear, not only did he feel his force being diverted, but also vaguely sensed a counterattacking force, with the exertion of force being extremely subtle.

  Zhao Yun then secretly cried out in alarm, this man's bravery and strength were absolutely unprecedented in his life.

  It's not that I'm afraid of Xu Chu, but rather the bet to capture Xu Chu alive within 50 rounds.

  Zhao Yun was confident in his martial arts skills and believed he could defeat Xu Chu.

  But judging from the first encounter, wanting to defeat Xu Chu would take at least two hundred rounds or even longer. As for wanting to capture Xu Chu within fifty rounds, it has basically become a fool's dream.

  "Have another bite."

  At this moment, Xu Chu's Western Liang horse was fast and had already turned his horse head again to kill him.

  "I'm afraid you won't make it!"

  Zhoa Yun immediately cast aside his distracting thoughts, let out a loud cry, and raised his spear to meet them.

  The two men clashed swords and guns, fighting in a frenzy, until they killed each other into a state of utter chaos.

  Xu Chu was increasingly astonished as the battle went on, this person's martial arts were incredibly strong, his spear techniques were exquisite and unparalleled, absolutely a rare sight in his lifetime, his martial arts surpassed even Jiangdong's fierce tiger Sun Jian, and his strength was by no means inferior to his own, making it extremely difficult to defeat him.

  As for capturing alive, forget about it.

  However, it is indeed difficult to find an opponent.

  Finally encountering such a powerful opponent, Xu Chu's innate bellicose blood immediately boiled up, his long-handled large knife wielded as swiftly as thunder and lightning, each strike fatal, every blow having the power to split mountains.

  Zhoa Yun's spear was like a pear blossom, sealing off Xu Zhu's knife momentum, continuously withdrawing and counterattacking.

  The two of them killed with relish, but the Western Xia army surrounding them was stunned.

  Xu Chu's bravery is known to all; even Sun Jian, the fierce tiger of Jiangdong, was once defeated and forced to flee.

  Who would have thought that a rustic little man could actually fight evenly with Xu Chu, this fierce warrior? It's really hard to believe.

  Hebei is indeed a land of many heroes, and its reputation is truly well-deserved!

  Lu Zheng was thrilled and thought to himself that it was no wonder he was Zhao Yun, and indeed he did not disappoint himself.

  Fifty years passed very quickly.

  Xu Chu's killing spree had long made him forget about the wager of fifty dou.

  Although Zhao Yun was worried about his promise, in the midst of life and death battles, how could he care about many things.

  At this moment, both of them had only one thought in their minds, which was to engage in a fierce and thorough battle, completely knocking each other down.

  More than three thousand Western Liang generals and soldiers watched with boiling blood, their cheers like thunder.

  Fighting against Baihe, Xu Chu launched a full-scale attack, exhausting his strength and suffering huge losses, already starting to pant.

  Looking at Zhao Yun, relying on his superb martial arts to guard the gate, his physical consumption was smaller than Xu Zhu's, and he still didn't appear short of breath.

  More than three thousand Western Liang generals were stunned, and the applause slowly subsided.

  Lu Zheng watched with admiration as Zhao Zilong's martial prowess was on full display, proving that his reputation was well-deserved and his bravery unmatched in the world.

  Fought for two hundred rounds, Xu Chu was already panting like an ox.

  Zhoa Yun was sweating slightly on his forehead, but he drew his sword even more swiftly and fiercely, gradually forcing Xu Zhu to be at a disadvantage.

  Xu Chu glared with his eyes wide open, bellowing like thunder, and fought fiercely.

  Just as the two men were about to engage in a life-and-death struggle, Zhao Yun's horse let out a long whinny and fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

  Zhoa Yun remained calm in the face of danger, raised his spear to block Xu Zhu's slash, and with a roll of momentum, fell off the horseback.

  Xu Chu did not take advantage of the momentum to kill, but instead reined in his warhorse, violently panting for several breaths, his chest heaving up and down like a bellows. His armor was already soaked with sweat, **and the warhorse was also drenched in sweat.**

  Zhao Yun quickly pulled open a distance, his iron spear slanting upwards, pointing at Xu Zhu.

  "What a relief! It's really a relief!"

  Xu Chu let out three loud cries, but instead of continuing to fight, he whipped his horse and galloped back.

  "My lord, I, Zhou Yu, was unable to capture Zhao Yun alive."

  Xu Chu rode his horse back to Luo Zhen's front, bowed his head and saluted with a gloomy expression.

  Luo Zheng lightly clapped his hands and smiled, saying: "Zhong Kang doesn't need to feel ashamed. Zhao Yun is also one of the top fierce generals in this world. You can already see your bravery from being able to fight him evenly. Let alone you, even if the Overlord were to be reborn, it would still be impossible to capture Zhao Yun alive!"

  Xu Chu's expression improved slightly, and when he looked at Zhao Yun, his eyes were somewhat unusual.

  They say heroes cherish each other, just like Zhao Yun, this kind of brave general, even if they are opponents, people still respect them.

  Xu Chu was based on this psychology, after Zhao Yun's war horse fell over, he did not take advantage of the situation.

  Luo Zhen slowly rode his horse forward, looked at Zhao Yun and said in a loud voice: "Zhao Yun, are you willing to admit defeat?"

  Zhao Yun's face stiffened, and he felt extremely unwilling in his heart, for a moment he didn't know what to do.

  Dozens of Han men then surrounded him, advising Zhao Yun not to be deceived, and saying that this was clearly a plot by Lu Xun, and there was no need to pay attention to it. At worst, they could fight to the death, and there was nothing to fear.

  Luo Zheng's face sank at the sight, "Zhao Yun, are you going back on your word?"

  "A real man's word is his bond, how can he go back on it?"

  Zhao Yun responded loudly without thinking, and then his face stiffened again.

  Dozens of fellow villagers around immediately flocked to comfort Zhao Yun, wanting to pull him into the village to calm him down first.

  Zhao Yun let out a long sigh and said to the crowd, "My eight-foot body has gone through more than twenty years without ever breaking my word. Although I was unable to capture Xu Zhu, I must still abide by our wager. If not, then what is the point of having integrity?"

  The villagers sighed and gave up trying to persuade him, knowing it was futile.

  Ancient people valued their promises and took life lightly, unlike later generations, who treated their vows like flatulence, pointing to the sky and making empty oaths that were seen as trivial.

  Even for the sake of achieving their goals, they would curse their own parents; the extent of their moral decay is beyond redemption.

  People of this generation rarely go back on their promises once they have made them.

  Zhao Yun has always been loyal and righteous, extremely valuing his promises, so the villagers all knew him and that's why they are now mourning.

  Zhao Yun quickly composed himself, stepped forward with large strides, and knelt down on the ground with a clang, "Cloud, pays respects to his lord."

  Luo Zhen almost fell off his horse and rushed up to help Zhao Yun, pulling him up with one hand. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, "Zilong is indeed a trustworthy man! General, I didn't misjudge you! Quickly, get up!"

  Zhao Yun rose with the momentum and looked at Luo Zheng, his face extremely complex.

  Whoever encounters such things will absolutely not feel happy in their heart.

  Although Zhao Yun was unwilling to betray his oath, he was forced to serve another lord, and how could he possibly feel good about it in his heart.

  Especially when the master's reputation is not prominent, he is neither a famous hero nor a master of one side. What's more, judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be much older than himself, and in his heart, he feels even more suffocated.

  Luo Zheng didn't know what was in Zhao Yun's heart, and he pulled Zhao Yun along, lavishing him with praise, without sparing any beautiful words.

  "Cloud has something to ask for, please master agree."

  Zhao Yun composed himself, calmed down and bowed his head to Luo Zhen.

  Zi Long said with a smile: "It doesn't matter what you say."

  Zhao Yun said: "My elder brother has just passed away, and I want to observe mourning for three more days. After settling my sister-in-law and nephew, I will follow the lord and leave."

  Lu Zheng said: "This is the great way of filial piety and brotherly love, how can General not agree? Alright, Zilong, you go and settle your sister-in-law and nephew first. I'll wait for three days. However, since you're leaving with me anyway, why don't you bring your family along too?"

  Zhao Yun said, "My parents died early, and I only had an older brother. Now he's also gone. Looking around at the four seas, my relatives are only my sister-in-law and nephew, but they don't want to leave their hometown. This time following Master to leave, I don't know if there will be a day when we can meet again!"

  He sighed deeply at this point.

  Luo Zhenluo thought for a moment, then turned back and ordered: "Come on, take 1,000 stones of grain and distribute them to the villagers. Take some silver money and send it to Zi Long's house, let Zi Long take care of his sister and nephew, go quickly!"

  "Roger."

  The little school in charge of forage immediately responded loudly and galloped away on horseback.

  Luo Zhen comforted Zhao Yun a few more words before mounting his horse and leading his troops back to the fort.

  Three days later, Zhao Yun arrived as promised and became a general of the Lu family.

  Luo Zheng set up a banquet and gathered all the military officers to welcome Zhao Yun, and on the next day he led his army northward, passing through the nine gates into Zhongshan State.

  The Western Liang army had just left when Han Fu finally led his troops to arrive at Zhending.