Lying quietly on the muddy ground, Lü Su suddenly sat up as if nothing had happened. The pale color that had filled her face vanished, replaced by a rosy glow that looked as if it had been painted on. Her chest, which had been lifeless moments ago, now began to rise and fall rhythmically.
However, her expression seemed somewhat dazed, as if she didn't understand why she was sitting in the dirty mud, surrounded by several people, while her father looked at her with wide eyes, as if she were a monster.
"Ah, Su Su, you're awake! That's great! I was so worried about you. Come on, get up; the ground is filthy, and that dress of yours is brand new," Lü Gong said, coming to his senses as he carefully helped his daughter to her feet, chatting away.
Lü Su complied with her father's help to stand up, and her mind slowly filled with memories. She recalled being ambushed by an arrow and, in that moment of danger, the imposing woman with cold, indifferent eyes had saved her. After thanking the sir, she had fainted, likely due to her old ailment acting up again.
"Don't forget to thank the sir; he saved you again," Lü Gong smiled, clearly unfazed by the earlier awkwardness.
"Thank you, sir. This is the third time you've saved me, and I truly don't know how to express my gratitude," Lü Su said, bowing deeply again.
Just as Cao Yi was about to speak, Yi Xiaochuan's irritated voice rang out, "Ying Ge, enough!"
Cao Yi turned to look.
In the distance, among the haphazard, gruesome corpses, the majestic Xiang Yu stood, gripping a bloodied bronze sword, poised at the chest of a still-breathing robber lying on the ground.
Beside him, the fair-skinned, sunny Yi Xiaochuan looked distraught.
Needless to say, it was the same old problem resurfacing.
"Xiaochuan, just now, Su Su almost lost her life at the hands of a robber. Who knows how many others still have the capability to kill? If another incident happens, and the Daoist Priest can't arrive in time, wouldn't it lead to unnecessary tragedy?" Xiang Yu furrowed his brow, speaking as he plunged the bronze sword down.
Crimson blood instantly sprayed from the robber's chest, and a low groan of pain escaped his lips.
"He's no longer capable of resisting; why do you stab him? Do you understand what humanitarianism means?" Yi Xiaochuan was genuinely angry as he saw Xiang Yu completely disregard his words.
"What crazy talk are you spouting?" Xiang Yu pulled out the bronze sword and, without another word, walked to another robber's corpse, thrusting it down again.
This time, he hit the target: the robber hadn't died; he had only been knocked unconscious by Yelü Zhigu's injury. When Xiang Yu stabbed him, he immediately regained consciousness, letting out a wretched scream. His hands, muddied and bloody, clutched tightly at the bronze sword piercing his chest, his expression twisted in fear and resentment.
"You're too cruel; no wonder you're called 'Xiang the Butcher' in history." Yi Xiaochuan, exasperated, blurted out the future name.
Upon hearing the words "Xiang the Butcher," Xiang Yu not only didn't get angry but began to critique, "The name 'Xiang the Butcher' isn't imposing enough; let's change it."
Yi Xiaochuan pointed at Xiang Yu, trembling with rage. It was evident he was very upset.
Xiang Yu ignored him, continuing to stab at one robber after another, each time accompanied by a piercing scream and spurts of hot, red blood.
"Serves you right; you'll end up with a tragic fate at the Wu River," Yi Xiaochuan yelled at Xiang Yu in frustration.
"Yi Xiaochuan, are you done yet?" Xiang Yu, fed up, finally snapped back.
"I'm doing this for your own good!" Yi Xiaochuan shot back with the most annoying phrase of modern youth.
"Fine, fine, fine, for your good; I won't argue with you today." Xiang Yu, sword in hand, stepped away from the pile of bodies and headed toward the creek with a serious expression.
"Alas." Cao Yi sighed.
It was then that Yi Xiaochuan noticed Cao Yi had come up beside him, his face slightly easing from the earlier grimness.
"Yi, my friend," Cao Yi said with a sigh.
The sigh wasn't for Yi Xiaochuan, but rather for the broader context of national unity in later generations.
Regardless of whether it was Yi Xiaochuan or mythical dramas, they were all products of a hopeless era. For instance, an old actor named Tang Guoqiang broke bones while filming "The Book of the Great Tang's Soul" but couldn't release it because it involved resisting An Lushan, thus damaging national unity.
"Daoist Priest, this situation is different; many robbers are no longer capable of resistance. Ying Ge's methods are too cruel and no different from those Japanese devils who executed people during the Anti-Japanese War." Yi Xiaochuan spoke in an official tone.
"Turn around," Cao Yi said, withdrawing from his thoughts, his tone calm.
"Why should I turn?" Yi Xiaochuan asked, confused, as he turned around.
"Just turn around; take three steps back," Cao Yi commanded again.
Yi Xiaochuan glanced back, cautiously stepping away from the bodies.
"Now step left three times," Cao Yi ordered.
Uncertain of what Cao Yi was up to, Yi Xiaochuan complied without question.
"Now take five steps back," Cao Yi commanded for the fourth time.
Just as Yi Xiaochuan stepped back for the fifth time, a filthy hand suddenly grabbed him.
"Dao!" Yi Xiaochuan instinctively called out for Cao Yi, but before he could finish, he fell to the ground, a bloodied robber landing on top of him, two grimy hands tightening around his neck.
As Yi Xiaochuan fought to pry the robber's hands off and knee him, Cao Yi merely watched from the side.
After nearly a minute, Yi Xiaochuan finally managed to gasp, "Dao, Daoist Priest, save me!"
"That's not possible; I can't violate humanitarian principles," Cao Yi replied, shaking his head with a serious expression.
Yi Xiaochuan wanted to argue, but the robber tightened his grip, turning his face a dark purple and making his eyes bulge—a clear sign of impending death.
Cao Yi lifted his foot but then let it drop again.
"Xiaochuan!" Xiang Yu's voice rang out.
Immediately after, a bronze sword whistled through the air, striking the robber right in the back.
With a painful groan, the robber slumped to one side.
Yi Xiaochuan rolled his eyes, gasping for breath.
"Xiaochuan!" Xiang Yu rushed over, helping him up and rubbing his back.
"Phew, phew, Ying Ge, thank you," Yi Xiaochuan wheezed, his face filled with shame.
"There's no need for thanks between brothers," Xiang Yu said gruffly.
Unbeknownst to Xiang Yu, this very brother would one day cause his demise while claiming innocence.
"Right, no need to thank each other between brothers," Yi Xiaochuan gasped.
Xiang Yu glanced at the robber's corpse, puzzled, "With your skills, how did you get taken down by him?"
Yi Xiaochuan shot a resentful glance at Cao Yi but remained silent.
Xiang Yu then turned to Cao Yi, asking another matter, "Daoist Priest, how should we dispose of these corpses?"
"Burying them would be too much trouble; leaving them here might lead to other issues. Let's burn them," Cao Yi decided after some thought.
"Alright, I'll go find some firewood," Xiang Yu stood up.
"Everyone, come here," Cao Yi called out to the others.
An hour later, a great fire blazed in the clearing of the forest, thick black smoke rising over ten meters high.