Chapter 10 Blind Superstition is Taboo

  "Are you from the Yellow Turban Army?"

  Yan Liang did not respond to Xu You and was not provoked by Zhou Cang, this deliberately asked sentence made everyone present stunned.

  "Laozi is just like the Yellow Turbans." Zhou Cang also paused for a moment, and said in a rough tone.

  "All right, I'll ask you again, isn't the leader of your Yellow Turbans called Zhang Jue?" Yan Liang said.

  The people around him were even more confused. Zhou Cang, who was originally angry, forgot his anger for a moment because of this inexplicable question.

  "The great and virtuous Master's name, how can it be directly called by a commoner like you?" Upon mentioning Zhang Jiao, Zhou Cang's expression immediately became solemn.

  Yan Liang nodded, "Very well, you still remember Zhang Jiao, that's good. As a member of the Yellow Turbans, you shouldn't have forgotten what your great and virtuous teacher once said: all Yellow Turban warriors are brothers."

  Xu You, who was standing beside him, looked puzzled, but his eyes seemed to have relaxed a little, as if he had guessed something.

  Zhou Cang still looked confused and impatiently said: "What exactly do you want to say?"

  Now that the stage is set, it's time to bring out the trump card.

  Yan Liang said in a loud voice: "I remember that Guan Yu, back then, rose to fame by following Liu Bei to suppress the Yellow Turbans. With Guan Yu's martial arts skills, hundreds of Yellow Turbans died at his hands. According to your 'great moral principles', those killed by Guan Yu were all your brothers, weren't they?"

  Zhou Cang's expression changed, trying to refute Yan Liang's words, but found himself speechless.

  Yan Liang's words were like a sharp blade, directly piercing Zhou Cang's weak point.

  "When Guan Yu killed your family's brothers, my family's Yuan Gong was in Ru Nan guarding his mother's mourning, the old man and your Yellow Turban Army had no grievances or enmity. Now, you actually worship a person with hands full of your brother's blood, and even for him to oppose someone who has no grievances or enmity with you, are you foolish or shameless?"

  Yan Liang's voice rose eight degrees, every word was like a knife, cutting ruthlessly into Zhou Cang's panicked heart.

  The originally angry Zhou Cang, that full belly of anger, as if in an instant was extinguished by Yan Liang's words, the whole person suddenly fell silent.

  Xu You's mouth curled up in a faintly admiring smile as he silently praised Yan Liang's words.

  Zhou Cang, although a rough man, was not an ignorant and barbarous husband. After Yan Liang's words, the blind worship in his heart for Guan Yu gradually dissipated.

  Zhou Cang's mental changes were all written on his face, how could he deceive Yan Liang's eyes.

  Yan Liang said again, "Cao Cao and Guan Yu are the same, both relying on killing the Yellow Turbans to rise to power. I see that you still have a conscience, if you can repent in time and surrender under my command, help Yuan Gong destroy Cao's villainy, it will also be considered as your merit redeeming your crime, are you willing to surrender?"

  Zhou Cang remained silent with his head hung low.

  Although he was still silent, Yan Liang could see that his mind had already inclined to surrender, but on the surface, he still couldn't get past it.

  "Let him go." Yan Liang suddenly ordered.

  The two sides were stunned for a moment, and for a while, they didn't come back to their senses.

  "Let him go!"

  Yan Liang repeated in a stern voice, with an unyielding dignity in his tone.

  The subordinates were startled and quickly untied Zhou Cang's ropes.

  Zhou Cang, freed from his restraints, stood up from the ground with a bewildered expression.

  "I see you've fallen into my trap, and yet you still have some reservations in your heart. I'll give you a chance. If you can withstand one of my blows, I'll let you go; otherwise, surrender obediently, what do you say?"

  Yan Liang said, his toes lifted, and he kicked a steel knife on the ground over.

  He is giving Zhou Cang a chance to step down, and also taking the opportunity to show off his own super strong martial arts skills.

  For Zhou Cang, this rough and violent warrior, only overwhelming strength is the key weapon that can make him convinced.

  Zhou Cang caught the kicked-over knife, his dark face revealing a thread of surprise and anger.

  One sword will defeat you, how arrogant and provocative.

  Zhou Cang was enraged again.

  With a sweep of his sword, Zhou Cang shouted loudly: "You dare not underestimate me, I, Zhou Cang, will make a bet with you. Don't go back on your word later."

  "I am Yan Liang, and I always keep my word, you can come over on horseback."

  Yan Liang held his long sword and smiled faintly, with a relaxed expression that completely disregarded Zhou Cang.

  This kind of contemptuous appearance stimulated Zhou Cang to become so angry that he let out a loud roar, and his iron tower-like body suddenly leapt out. The large knife in his hand was accompanied by the power of the fierce wind, and it chopped towards Yan Liang's face.

  Three Steps

  Two steps

  One step!

  Zhou Cang suddenly leapt into mid-air, borrowing the momentum of his descent, and struck down with a gleaming blade.

  The hearts of the soldiers on both sides rose to their throats in an instant, thinking that the enemy had already attacked and General Yan's own army was still not taking action, and if they didn't take action soon, it would be too late.

  In a flash of lightning, Yan Liang's sword eyebrow was horizontal, and his majestic figure moved like the wind.

  He moved so fast that before anyone could see clearly, the long knife in his hand had already broken through the wind.

  Clang!

  A sharp metallic ring, sparks flying everywhere, a long knife flew into the air.

  Zhou Cang's iron tower-like body actually flew out several feet under the watchful eyes of everyone, and heavily fell to the ground.

  Then, the flying steel knife fell off his hand and was inserted in front of him.

  One move defeats the enemy, Yan Liang's arrogance is indeed not just boastful words.

  Yan Liang made a gesture of collecting his energy, inserted his long knife into the ground, stood with his hands behind his back, and still had an air of calmness on his face.

  The air seemed to solidify for a moment, and then a thunderous applause burst out from the crowd of onlookers, with all the soldiers marveling at Yan Liang's powerful slash.

  Moreover, on everyone's face, there is also a hint of shock.

  That is the fear of Yan Liangwu's power.

  Zhou Cang, who had fallen to the ground, struggled to get up, with a trace of blood still oozing from the corner of his mouth, clearly having suffered internal injuries.

  His eyes, filled with blood vessels, were even more turbulent with unbelievable eyes, as if he didn't dare to believe that he couldn't even block Yan Liang's one knife.

  But he soon realized that although it was cruel, this was indeed a fact.

  Moreover, Yan Liang's knife still had room to spare, if the other party had used their full strength, he would probably not have been able to climb back up the mountain alive.

  Zhou Cang felt a great sense of loss when he looked at Yan Liang again, his eyes no longer filled with anger, but only deep reverence for Yan Liang.

  He is a strong advocate for his beliefs.

  Yan Liang was indeed a strong man.

  "Mo Jiang will see General Zhou Cang." He suddenly knelt down on one knee and bowed with his hands clasped together.

  This bow actually meant he was willing to admit defeat and surrender under Yan Liang's command.

  Yan Liang's mouth curled up in a hint of satisfaction, but he quickly bent down to support Zhou Cang, laughing: "Quickly get up, come on, hurry and have General Zhou taken away for treatment."

  Everyone was still immersed in the shocking and thrilling knife just now, and it took a while to react.

  Several soldiers hastily came forward and helped Zhou Cang away.

  "What's everyone doing standing around? Hurry up and clean up the remaining dishes."

  Yan Liang's words awakened his subordinates, and thousands of people dispersed with a loud noise, busily cleaning up the battlefield.

  "General Yan's swordsmanship is indeed astonishing, worthy of being the top general in Hebei." Behind him, Xu You nodded his head in praise, and his expression seemed sincere, as if it wasn't intentional flattery.

  Yan Liang waved his hand and said, "It's been a while since I've fought with anyone, my knife skills have become rusty, I'm afraid Mr. Zi Yuan will laugh at me."

  "The general was humble." Xu You sneered a few times, and the topic suddenly shifted. "But there is one thing that is quite strange. Zhou Cang is just an unknown little soldier, why did General Yan go to such great lengths to surrender to him?"

  Zhou Cang's loyalty was evident, and Yan Liang needed this kind of loyal heart the most. How could Xu You see through it?

  "Zhou Cang may be a minor character, but he is one of the Yuannan Yellow Turbans. We've come all this way to recruit them, so we must show them our magnanimity and generosity. Otherwise, how can we win over the hearts of these Yellow Turban soldiers?"

  Yan Liang's words were not just for responding to Xu You, this was also one of the reasons he won over Zhou Cang.

  He wanted to stand out on his own, but relying solely on the 1,000 troops from Hebei was not enough; the Yellow Turbans in Ru'nan were naturally the best target for him to expand his forces.

  He alone came forward to take charge of the situation, relying on Yuan Shao's prestige. In order to make these generals still loyal to himself when he would leave Yuan in the future, Yan Liang had to quickly establish his own personal prestige.

  These private thoughts, of course, Yan Liang could not speak truthfully with Xu You at this time.

  "It turns out that's how it is. I didn't expect the general to be so meticulous in his thinking. It seems that I, Xu, have been somewhat short-sighted." Xu You said with a self-deprecating smile.

  Yan Liang smiled but didn't speak, rubbing his belly and shouting loudly: "This commotion has made me hungry! Someone come quickly and bring that half-eaten leg of lamb from the general's tent..."

  Yan Liang turned around and walked into the tent in big strides, gnawing on a roasted sheep's leg while continuing to read his unfinished half-book.

  The soldiers in front of the account were filling in the pit, while the subordinates outside the account were busy collecting the remaining goods. Yan Liang, however, seemed to be ignoring everything.

  Looking at Yan Liang's carefree and open-minded appearance, Xu You's eyes became increasingly heavy with a strange color, and he muttered to himself: "This Yanzi is decisive in his actions, not dragging his feet, but also secretly plotting, somewhat similar to Cao Mengde's style. Compared to him, Yuan Gong might be...

  Realizing he had misspoken, Xu You hastily fell silent.