Chapter Thirty-Five: The Battle Between Zhang and Zhao

Liu Yao gestured to the three behind him—Zhang Fei and the others. “These three are the finest generals in my army. You may choose one to duel with. If your skill earns their approval, then you may stay.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun began to study the three men. Taishi Ci regarded Zhao Yun with open curiosity. Huang Zhong’s gaze was serene and indifferent, as though nothing in the world could disturb him. Yet Zhao Yun knew that of the three, Huang Zhong was certainly the strongest; that calm detachment was something he had only ever witnessed in his own master, Tong Yuan. Zhang Fei, on the other hand, glared at Zhao Yun with wide eyes, scrutinizing him fiercely, as if to see what about this fair-faced young man could possibly mark him as a hero.

Zhao Yun found Zhang Fei’s stare extremely uncomfortable and made his choice in an instant. “My lord, I choose him,” he said, pointing directly at Zhang Fei.

“Me?” Zhang Fei was momentarily stunned, then erupted in anger. “You little pretty-boy! Do you think old Zhang is the easiest to bully, so you pick me?”

“Yide, mind your manners,” Liu Yao chided him at once. “But isn’t this exactly what you wanted? Haven’t you been eager to test Zhao Yun’s martial skills?”

“Hmph.” Zhang Fei snorted and said no more.

In the center of the training ground, Zhang Fei sat astride his Wuzhui horse, full of vigor and spirit, his imposing presence washing over Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun, calm and collected, rode a fine Ferghana steed, holding his Hao Dragon Spear, undaunted by Zhang Fei’s aura.

Just as the two were about to cross weapons, Liu Yao’s voice suddenly rang out, “Wait!” disrupting their mounting momentum.

The two turned back, puzzled, to look at Liu Yao. Instead of addressing them, Liu Yao spoke to his bodyguard, “Go to my study and fetch a spear, a halberd, and a blade.”

It turned out that Liu Yao’s order for Ou Feng to forge steel had already succeeded, and the divine weapons he had commissioned had been completed just days before. He had planned to present them as a surprise, but seeing Zhang Fei’s current weapon compared to Zhao Yun’s Hao Dragon Spear, he had no choice but to deliver them now, lest Zhang Fei be put at a disadvantage.

“Yes, sir,” the guard replied and quickly departed.

Not long after, two guards returned to the training field bearing three weapons. The moment they entered, the gazes of Zhang Fei and the others were instantly fixed upon the weapons, unable to look away.

Liu Yao handed the weapons to Huang Zhong and Taishi Ci. “Hansheng, this is your Daxia Draconic Sparrow Blade. Ziyi, this is your Gale Halberd.”

The two received their weapons with undisguised joy, eagerly examining and brandishing them, their excitement overflowing. For a general, nothing is more prized than a fine steed and a divine weapon. Now that they had both, what more could they desire? “Thank you, my lord, for your generous gift.”

“My lord, what about mine?!” Zhang Fei’s voice came from the side, full of dissatisfaction.

Liu Yao chuckled at the anxious look on Zhang Fei’s face. “How could I forget you? Here is your Serpent Lance.” With that, he tossed over the over-four-meter-long, hundred-fold-refined steel spear.

Catching it in one hand, Zhang Fei immediately cast away his old, inferior weapon. He spun the Serpent Lance energetically, leaving afterimages wherever it moved.

“What a spear! Truly a magnificent spear!” Zhang Fei shouted with delight. He had been envious of Zhao Yun’s Hao Dragon Spear, recognizing it as a weapon of legendary caliber. Now, having his own divine spear, he could not contain his joy.

Once more, Zhang Fei faced Zhao Yun and taunted, “Pretty-boy, now we can have a proper duel!”

Zhao Yun paid no mind to the nickname. He cupped his fist respectfully and said, “Please, instruct me.”

Both men spurred their horses toward one another. Having already tested each other’s presence, neither held back, each unleashing their full strength as they thrust at their opponent.

As the horses drew closer, Zhao Yun noticed that, due to the length of Zhang Fei’s weapon, it would reach its target before his own spear. With no other choice, he withdrew his spear and swept the Serpent Lance aside with a backward motion. With a resounding clang, the two passed by each other.

Zhang Fei turned his horse, thinking, “Damn it, how is it that these pretty-boys these days are so strong? The lord is one thing, but this Zhao fellow has real strength. Even though I wasn’t using my full force, he still blocked my attack with ease. I’ll have to be careful—not to be caught off guard.”

On the other side, Zhao Yun felt his hands already tingling from the impact and thought, “This man’s strength is truly formidable. It would be unwise to challenge him head-on; I must win with skill, not sheer force.”

After the first exchange, their understanding of each other’s abilities deepened, and both grew more cautious.

“Take this—Zhang’s spear!” Zhang Fei bellowed, charging at Zhao Yun at full speed on his horse. His steed reared up, and from atop it, Zhang Fei swung his spear down as if cleaving a mountain. Zhao Yun, with no other option, raised his spear horizontally to block the mighty blow.

In the next moment, the two were locked in a stalemate. No one could say how much force Zhang Fei’s tremendous strength, combined with the momentum of his horse, truly produced. He howled, exerting every ounce of might to press Zhao Yun down. Zhao Yun gritted his teeth, his back bent beneath the pressure, yet still managed to slowly push the spear aside. Zhao Yun could bear it, but his horse could not; despite its fine breeding, it was not up to enduring such monstrous strength. It began to neigh in pain.

Sensing the situation was dire, Zhao Yun let out a roar and threw all his strength upward, finally deflecting Zhang Fei’s spear.

He exhaled deeply, easing the recent tension, but could not help feeling a touch of anger. After all, he was only seventeen or eighteen, with the pride of youth. He had hoped to impress, and now, being forced back, how could he not feel indignant?

His eyes flashed with resolve. He shouted, “To strike and not return is discourteous—behold my Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix!” This was the final and most powerful move of Master Tong Yuan’s famed spear technique.

Zhao Yun’s spear became two, then four, then eight, until a hundred spear shadows shot toward Zhang Fei.

Faced with the dazzling flurry of spear shadows, Zhang Fei’s scalp tingled. He braced himself and parried the storm of attacks with all his might. He managed to block left and right, but in the end, one spear shadow slipped through, grazing and tearing his sleeve.

Glancing at the rent in his clothing, Zhang Fei thought with relief, “This pretty-boy’s spearwork is truly something. If I hadn’t barely dodged at the last instant, that strike would have drawn blood, and I would have lost for sure.”

Watching from the sidelines, Liu Yao’s eyes shone as he witnessed Zhao Yun’s Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix. The technique’s elegance and power stirred his admiration.

The two combatants had already exchanged over a hundred rounds, yet neither could overcome the other.

“Hansheng, who do you think will win?” Liu Yao asked Huang Zhong beside him. Not being skilled in martial arts himself, he could not judge who held the advantage.

After a moment’s thought, Huang Zhong replied, “That’s hard to say. In terms of raw strength, Yide has the upper hand, but Zhao Yun’s spear techniques are extraordinarily clever. Strength against skill—who will triumph is truly impossible to predict.”